A Look Back at My 31st Birthday Virtual 5K!

This is a repost from 10 years ago! When I was turning 31 years old, I thought it would be fun to host a virtual 5K for my birthday (31 years old... 3.1 miles). It was free to sign up and I didn't do any of the fancy swag or anything... I just bought and made some prizes for a drawing at the end.

If I'd have thought of it, I would have done a 10 year anniversary race this year! But it's fun to look back at this. These are the results of the 5K (sorted by age group). I also listed some fun facts at the end. 

For the life of me, I cannot find a way to access all of the posts that everybody shared to my Facebook page after they did their 5K! It was so fun to read through them (and that's how I met some people who are now good friends of mine). But it was 10 years ago, and since Facebook has clearly changed, they may be lost forever. Here are a few pictures I have, though...

My mom was cruisin'!

Jerry was probably racing me

Jeanie (my sister) running in Illinois

The printable race bib--it's so cringy now! Haha.

Okay, here goes (the post from 10 years ago)... 

First, I'd like to congratulate EVERYONE who finished the 5K--whether you were fast or slow, walked or ran, did it for fun, or tried to meet a goal--you should be VERY proud!! Here is a list of the finishers that filled out the finisher's form (I know there are people not on here, considering my sister is one of them!)

Name	Age group	Time	Where 5K was run
Erin Beacham	19 and under	0:26:40	Philadelphia, PA
Lindsey Hill	19 and under	0:39:41	Fairview Park, OH
Becky Arnold	19 and under	0:40:00	Mifflintown PA
Ryan Hill	19 and under	0:40:00	Fairview Park, OH
William Reynolds	19 and under	0:43:30	Florida, USA
pupdog24	19 and under	0:45:23	Williamsport, PA
Ana	19 and under	0:48:16	Indianapolis/Indiana
Allison	20-24	0:24:38	Bowling Green, Ohio
Sarah Hussaini	20-24	0:25:32	NY, NY
Mackenzie Dickson	20-24	0:26:40	Manassas, Virginia
Dana Marie	20-24	0:27:08	Murfreesboro, TN
Kat H	20-24	0:27:21	Maryland
Tessa M.	20-24	0:27:31	Portland, OR
Elizabeth R	20-24	0:27:45	East Windsor, CT
Krystal	20-24	0:28:05	Waterford, MI
Elizabeth DH	20-24	0:28:37	West Lafayette, IN
Ally Mo	20-24	0:29:04	Minneapolis, MN
Morgan Julane	20-24	0:29:22	Normal, IL
Aaryn Exparza	20-24	0:29:23	Roseburg, Oregon
Andrea	20-24	0:30:23	Albany, NY
JFultsRN	20-24	0:30:55	Edwardsville, IL
Karie	20-24	0:31:02	Cresco, Iowa
Haley	20-24	0:31:45	Clemson University, SC
Katie H	20-24	0:32:10	Machias, ME
Beverly B	20-24	0:32:21	Rome, ny
Alicia Bailey	20-24	0:33:51	Lynchburg, Virginia
Amelia	20-24	0:34:22	Surrey, BC, Canada
Kendall	20-24	0:34:22	Surrey, BC, Canada
Simi	20-24	0:34:22	Surrey, BC, Canada
Lindsey Maxwell	20-24	0:35:02	Lexington, SC
Jess	20-24	0:35:11	Columbus, Ohio
Emily H	20-24	0:35:22	Chicago, IL
Melissa Neary	20-24	0:36:36	Salt Lake
AmandaLarsen22	20-24	0:43:08	Wolsey, SD
Aimee	20-24	0:43:13	Des Moines, IA
Jessica R	20-24	0:45:35	California
Caryn	20-24	0:45:46	Omaha, NE
Jenna Beyer	20-24	0:55:56	Canyon, Texas
Mikayla L	20-24	0:58:10	Walla Walla, WA
Kellie G	20-24	0:58:36	Canton, Georgia
Ricci	20-24	1:11:55	Alabaster, AL
Krystal B.	20-24	untimed	Wellsboro, PA
Becky (my sis-in-law!)	25-29	0:21:33	St. Paul, MN
Katie Nussbaum	25-29	0:23:42	Hudson, Il
Lindsay	25-29	0:23:48	Boston, MA
Michele	25-29	0:24:06	California
AshleyW	25-29	0:24:36	Ypumgstown, OH
Thomas Graf	25-29	0:24:51	Beaverton, Oregon
Steph P.	25-29	0:25:37	Duluth, MN
Erin	25-29	0:26:43	Knoxville,TN
Kelly the Culinarian	25-29	0:27:00	Oak Brook, IL
Carie A.	25-29	0:27:32	Creston, Iowa
Sus	25-29	0:27:38	New Zealand
Serenity	25-29	0:29:05	Houston, Texas
Kate B	25-29	0:29:36	Pittsburgh, PA
Luci	25-29	0:29:43	Chicago
Leslie SB	25-29	0:29:51	Asheville, NC
Angela	25-29	0:29:53	Los Angeles, CA
Erica W	25-29	0:29:58	Cedar Rapids, IA
Amy	25-29	0:30:39	Overland Park, KS
Emma	25-29	0:30:48	Adelaide, Australia
Izabela Pabian	25-29	0:31:04	Shelton, CT
cpost90	25-29	0:31:11	Alberta, Canada
Allison	25-29	0:31:12	Denver, CO
Jennifer	25-29	0:31:38	St Louis, MO
Laura	25-29	0:31:39	Ulysses,KS
Meg	25-29	0:31:45	Portland, Maine
Janet H	25-29	0:31:47	Bartlesville, Oklahoma
L. J.	25-29	0:32:00	Washington, DC
Molli Freeman-Lynde	25-29	0:32:17	Durham, NC
Bethieb163	25-29	0:32:21	Columbia, SC
Diane	25-29	0:33:10	Easthampton, MA
Mor L	25-29	0:33:30	Israel
Sarah T	25-29	0:33:52	Glennville, GA
Emily Anderson	25-29	0:34:12	Portland, OR
Beth	25-29	0:34:52	Fredericksburg, VA
Ashleigh	25-29	0:35:24	Washington, DC
Laurel	25-29	0:35:38	Tigard, Oregon
Cathie	25-29	0:36:04	Altamonte Springs, FL
Crystal	25-29	0:36:14	Denver, CO
Allison M	25-29	0:36:41	Dana Point, CA
Vanessa	25-29	0:36:48	Ontario, California
Shelley	25-29	0:37:01	Stow, O
Becky S.	25-29	0:37:10	Logan, UT
Rachel B.	25-29	0:37:13	St. Louis MO
Razorback Britt	25-29	0:37:50	Fort Smith, AR
Kelsey	25-29	0:38:34	Plainview,TX
Katy Clements	25-29	0:38:40	Buffalo, NY
Krystle	25-29	0:38:54	Corpus Christi, TX
Soraya	25-29	0:38:57	Chattanooga, TN
Christine K.	25-29	0:39:02	Victoria, BC, Canada!
Danita	25-29	0:39:24	Lafayette, GA
Teresa	25-29	0:39:33	Switzerland!
Ali B	25-29	0:39:40	Vermont
Jessica Lynn	25-29	0:39:58	Milwaukee, WI
Carrie	25-29	0:40:22	Wichita, KS
Kim Phillips	25-29	0:40:22	Wichita, KS
AudreyF	25-29	0:41:02	Sellersburg, IN
Joanna	25-29	0:41:07	Cincinnati, OH
Katy	25-29	0:41:15	Whitesboro, Texas
shecsgoer	25-29	0:41:35	Mitchell, SD
Cheri	25-29	0:42:06	Sacramento, CA
Jenniek	25-29	0:42:08	Southaven, MS
Ashley M.	25-29	0:42:09	Nashville, TN
Ana S	25-29	0:42:17	London Uk
Courtney H	25-29	0:42:24	Ruston, LA
Bean :-)	25-29	0:42:48	Muncie, Indiana
Aimee	25-29	0:44:12	Philadelphia, PA
Caity	25-29	0:44:14	Hollidaysburg PA
WhitneyT	25-29	0:44:16	Memphis, TN
Amandawk	25-29	0:44:30	Seattle, WA
katyabeth	25-29	0:44:53	san francisco ca
Colleen Martin	25-29	0:45:10	Baltimore, MD
Morgan	25-29	0:46:54	Canada
lindsay	25-29	0:47:11	Hurst, texas
jen	25-29	0:47:43	raleigh, nc
Jeannine Matisz	25-29	0:50:00	Canada
Katie100385	25-29	0:50:47	Adair, IA
Smadsen03	25-29	0:51:14	Springfield, IL
Natoria S.	25-29	0:53:21	Tallassee, AL
Desiree Rutherford	25-29	0:53:22	Portland, Texas
Allison L.	25-29	0:54:56	Peoria, AZ
EmDub	25-29	0:56:04	Indianapolis, IN
Chrisandra	25-29	0:56:17	Windsor, Ontario
Brittany	25-29	0:57:42	Westport, WA
Katie Keough	25-29	0:57:50	Kaysville, UT
Roberta	25-29	0:58:22	Grande Prairie, AB, Canada
Michael G.	25-29	1:04:06	Davis, California
Natalie S.	25-29	1:04:06	Davis, California
Ashley	25-29	1:04:48	Roanoke,Va
Rebecca Gifford	25-29	1:05:28	Euless, Texas
Robyn	25-29	1:07:07	Hershey, PA
Savoy Truffle	25-29	1:10:00	Knoxville, TN
Iris G.	25-29	untimed	DFW, Texas
Kati	25-29	untimed	Tacoma, WA
Nik	25-29	untimed	NY, NY
MrsRoss	25-29	untimed	Nebraska
Sara G	25-29	untimed	Rome, GA
Stephanie	30-34	0:22:41	Southgate, MI
Katie (Runs for Cookies)	30-34	0:23:56	Newport, MI
Brie Roth	30-34	0:24:35	Coralville, IA
Stephanie	30-34	0:24:36	Spring Hill, tn
Kylie	30-34	0:24:38	Windom, MN
Lyndsey	30-34	0:25:03	Akron, OH
Rebekah	30-34	0:25:07	Washington DC
Jerry (Mr. Runs for Cookies)	30-34	0:25:08	Newport, MI
Lisa	30-34	0:25:48	Norwood, MA
ween19	30-34	0:25:59	Denver, CO
Lisa	30-34	0:27:19	Ferndale, WA
Yasmin Bartal	30-34	0:27:30	Canada
Ciarra1028	30-34	0:27:33	Bloomington, IL
Serena Michelle	30-34	0:27:57	San Diego, CA
Crystal L.	30-34	0:28:07	Summerville, SC
Kelly Grant	30-34	0:28:24	Austin, TX
Jamie Jackson	30-34	0:29:14	East Lansing, MI
Sean	30-34	0:29:14	Chesapeake, VA
Elizabeth	30-34	0:29:19	Richmond, Virginia
Amanda R.	30-34	0:29:47	Richmond, VA
Nicole Leonard	30-34	0:29:54	Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Lindsey Yancey	30-34	0:30:30	Columbia, MO
Lindsay	30-34	0:30:32	Indianapolis, IN
Katie P.	30-34	0:30:46	Woodbury, MN
Karey Eastburn	30-34	0:31:00	Eugene, OREGON
Lisa Whitney	30-34	0:31:00	Reno, NV
AnnMay	30-34	0:31:02	Ohio
Manatarms	30-34	0:31:05	Lenoir, nc
Nicole Joy	30-34	0:31:15	Miles City, Montana
Jaclyn	30-34	0:32:29	Albuquerque, NM
Adrienne	30-34	0:32:38	Humble, TX
Tifanni	30-34	0:32:53	Polson,MT
Erin	30-34	0:33:06	Northwest Ohio
Michelle Tucker	30-34	0:33:11	Fort Smith, AR
Stephie	30-34	0:33:34	Columbus, OH
Jen Buhler	30-34	0:33:51	Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Amanda Walters	30-34	0:33:55	Wilmington NC
k8e26	30-34	0:33:56	Manassas, VA
Jodi T.	30-34	0:33:58	Fairview Heights, IL
Lee Ann Mitchell	30-34	0:34:13	Ypsilanti, MI
gingintrips	30-34	0:34:17	Atlanta, Georgia
Amy H	30-34	0:34:25	Dallas, TX
Chele	30-34	0:34:29	Boston, MA
Dara	30-34	0:34:31	Overland Park, KS
Tiffany	30-34	0:34:35	Great Falls, Mont.
pattie	30-34	0:34:36	Nebraska City, NE
Nicole	30-34	0:35:00	Buffalo,NY
Jodi Y	30-34	0:35:21	Hudson, Wisconsin
LessofLynsey	30-34	0:35:36	Beresford, SD
Jordan B	30-34	0:35:45	Racine, WI
Katie M	30-34	0:36:04	Washington state
Vicky	30-34	0:36:14	Sugarloaf, PA
Christy D	30-34	0:36:28	Burleson, TX
Michelle	30-34	0:36:29	Keene, NH
Kristina Turtura	30-34	0:36:56	Syracuse, New York
Tara Guerra	30-34	0:36:57	Georgetown, TX
Rachael	30-34	0:37:12	Boise, Idaho
acribb01	30-34	0:37:20	Louisville, KY
Alice M.	30-34	0:37:22	Salt Lake City
Runs To Get Waisted	30-34	0:37:41	Hillsboro, OR
Jody Charneicki	30-34	0:37:42	Houston, PA
Kelly Stokes	30-34	0:37:42	Denver, CO
GrowininFaithShrinkinInSize	30-34	0:37:46	St. Paul, MN
Vera	30-34	0:37:48	Munich, Germany
Sam B	30-34	0:37:49	Mayfield Heights, OH
Amy DuGas	30-34	0:37:50	London, Ontario, Canada
MargaretS	30-34	0:38:06	centreville, VA
Marsha	30-34	0:38:12	Ypsilanti, MI
Cat T	30-34	0:38:36	Denver, CO
Katie W	30-34	0:39:03	St. Louis, MO
Becky	30-34	0:39:19	Cleveland OH
Joanie	30-34	0:39:21	New Brunswick, NJ
Brew	30-34	0:39:33	Linden,Mi
Lisa	30-34	0:39:35	AZ
jenlarson	30-34	0:40:00	Shakopee, MN
Travis	30-34	0:40:00	Shakopee, MN
Amy	30-34	0:40:15	Garden City Mi
Brenna Koko	30-34	0:40:36	Peyton Co
Renzryd	30-34	0:40:48	Portland, Oregon
Jill	30-34	0:40:51	Grand Rapids
Jessica S	30-34	0:41:11	Omaha NE
Allyson Ross	30-34	0:41:13	High Point, NC
Emily	30-34	0:41:33	Austin, TX
Jenny_Bu	30-34	0:41:35	Cleveland, OH
Nearl	30-34	0:41:57	Boston, MA
KwajBecky	30-34	0:42:07	Kwajalein, Marshall Islands
Stacey	30-34	0:42:30	Staunton, VA
Shannon	30-34	0:42:34	Memphis, TN
Lenore	30-34	0:43:05	Escondido, Ca
fancynancy28	30-34	0:43:08	Pittsburgh Pa
Jamie	30-34	0:43:50	Houston, TX
BreannaS	30-34	0:44:12	Chillicothe, MO
Stephie G.	30-34	0:44:26	Raleigh, NC
Julie Keys	30-34	0:44:34	Dunkirk, MD
Jamie	30-34	0:44:37	Oglesby, IL
Jeni V.	30-34	0:44:50	Chesterton, IN
Elizabeth	30-34	0:44:57	La Crosse, WI
Kristi	30-34	0:45:10	Los Angeles
Jennifer Moody	30-34	0:46:08	Austin, TX
Kim P	30-34	0:46:09	Milwaukee, WI
Jane	30-34	0:46:32	Salt Lake City, UT
Munkybug	30-34	0:46:39	St. Louis, MO
Cindy	30-34	0:47:06	Midland, MI
Jenifer Jennings	30-34	0:47:13	Spokane WA
Erin	30-34	0:47:22	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Chrissy792	30-34	0:48:16	Indianapolis/Indiana
Nichole	30-34	0:49:06	Elyria, Ohio
Andrea Kem	30-34	0:49:07	Greenfield, Indiana
Maria Ballon	30-34	0:50:38	Onley, VA
Malia	30-34	0:51:39	Nashua, NH
Rachel Tehvand	30-34	0:51:41	USAG Ansbach, Germany
Shelley	30-34	0:52:47	Middleton, Michigan
Amanda S	30-34	0:52:56	Melbourne, FL
Cass Marie	30-34	0:53:33	Cullman, AL
Annette Rife	30-34	0:54:30	Bremerton, WA
Samantha Curto	30-34	0:54:37	Omaha, NE
Tracy Hein	30-34	0:54:39	New Brunswick, Canada
Mandi Lynn	30-34	0:55:08	Bowling Green
Maegen F.	30-34	0:55:34	Coeur d'Alene, ID
Renee	30-34	0:57:23	Katy, TX
Chonda	30-34	0:58:19	Meadville, MS
Rachel McCullough	30-34	0:58:35	Pensacola,Florida
Dena	30-34	0:58:48	Richland, WA
SugarBean	30-34	1:00:01	Hickory, NC
Amie S	30-34	1:00:27	Pittsburgh, PA
Amanda C	30-34	1:01:21	Abilene, TX
Z	30-34	1:02:00	New Delhi, India
Colleen	30-34	1:03:00	Sioux City, Iowa
Megan M	30-34	1:04:21	Chicago
Amanda	30-34	1:06:45	Chesapeake, VA
Desireejude	30-34	untimed	Jefferson City, Mo
Lindsay	30-34	untimed	Knoxville, TN
Tiffani	30-34	untimed	Amarillo, TX
Brian (my brother!)	35-39	0:22:57	St. Paul, MN
Laura B.	35-39	0:23:47	Hastings, MI
Mark's Girl	35-39	0:24:46	Concord, NH
Alice Thornton	35-39	0:24:58	Worthing, West Sussex, UK
Shelly	35-39	0:25:00	Canton, MI
Leeana	35-39	0:25:02	Toronto, Ontario in Canada
EliseNJ	35-39	0:25:45	Central New Jersey
Cathy	35-39	0:25:51	Mount Vernon, WA
Collette	35-39	0:26:33	Draper, UT
Andrea Black	35-39	0:27:23	Lenexa, Kansas
Teresa M.	35-39	0:27:46	Antioch, IL
Jessica	35-39	0:28:17	Monroe, MI
Becky C	35-39	0:28:39	London,Ont, Canada
Michelle	35-39	0:28:51	Kansas City, MO
Cindy	35-39	0:29:02	Springville, UT
Ashlee	35-39	0:29:30	Kansas City
Runnin' Brownie	35-39	0:29:33	Morristown, TN
kcaliff	35-39	0:29:36	Ankeny, IA
Amy	35-39	0:29:45	Norwich, ct
Karen K	35-39	0:29:58	Flower Mound, TX
Joshua Nelson	35-39	0:30:37	Oakland County, MI
Heidi W	35-39	0:31:48	Overland Park, KS
Joyelle	35-39	0:31:57	New Lenox, IL
Jen B.	35-39	0:32:12	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
carly	35-39	0:32:33	Bronwsville, Texas
MeechRobi	35-39	0:33:15	Groton, CT
Becky Klutts	35-39	0:33:23	Iowa City, iA
Jamie Miller	35-39	0:33:45	Omaha, NE
Stephanie Rife	35-39	0:33:50	South Lyon, MI
Katie B	35-39	0:34:10	Perry, MI
Fairchild	35-39	0:34:52	Fort Worth, Texas
Twinmomma	35-39	0:36:24	West Sacramento, CA
Simply Healthy Mama	35-39	0:36:58	Greenville, NC
Tami Grandi	35-39	0:37:02	Knoxville, TN
Monica	35-39	0:38:08	Portland, OR
Robyn O.	35-39	0:38:15	Missoula, MT
Shawn	35-39	0:38:26	Pella, Iowa
Louise	35-39	0:39:12	Birmingham uk
Jessica H	35-39	0:40:03	Davenport IA
Jen	35-39	0:40:05	Harrisburg, PA
Jerica388	35-39	0:40:22	Columbus, IN
Pati Haaz	35-39	0:40:29	México City
Suzi	35-39	0:41:42	Buffalo, NY
Stephanie B.	35-39	0:42:05	Galesburg, IL
LP	35-39	0:42:38	Mililani, HI
Laura	35-39	0:42:47	Winston Salem, NC
Jennifer Peterson	35-39	0:43:02	Muscatine, IA
Allison Reynolds	35-39	0:43:30	Edgewater, Florida
Klienke	35-39	0:43:30	Minneapolis, MN
Emily Odhiambo	35-39	0:43:57	Rochester, NY
Shayne	35-39	0:44:28	Spokane Valley, WA
Renee	35-39	0:44:54	Omaha, NE
Jen Swanson	35-39	0:45:05	Queens NY
#1BAMAFAN1	35-39	0:45:40	Town Creek, Alabama
Penny & Craig Warren	35-39	0:46:14	Houston
Kara	35-39	0:46:58	Mount Pleasant, Utah
Heather Forcey	35-39	0:47:00	Clovis, CA
Jennifer	35-39	0:47:12	Philadelphia, pa
Andi	35-39	0:47:17	Chico, CA
Amy Linton	35-39	0:47:39	Roseville, ca
Jacquie	35-39	0:47:39	Western Australia
Angela B	35-39	0:47:48	Stephenville,Tx
Kimberly in Atlanta	35-39	0:48:18	Peachtree City, GA
Rima	35-39	0:49:52	Baltimore, MD
Jodi EH	35-39	0:50:07	St. Paul
Jeanette	35-39	0:50:20	Winter Garden, FL
Aunt Narna	35-39	0:50:27	Webster City, Iowa
Amy Brewington	35-39	0:50:28	Camden, SC
Kimberly	35-39	0:50:53	Dallas, TX
Kitty Fantastic	35-39	0:53:10	Woodbridge, NJ
Amy	35-39	0:53:13	Rosemount, Minnesota
Kristeen	35-39	0:53:20	Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Kathy M.	35-39	0:56:10	Cranberry Twp., PA
JessicaB	35-39	0:59:02	Hattiesburg MS
Christine	35-39	1:04:21	Waterloo, IA
Brandi G	35-39	Untimed	Florence, SC
Lissa	35-39	untimed	Dillsburg, PA
Detroit Runner	40-44	0:23:48	Shelby Township, MI
Todd	40-44	0:24:30	St. Clair Shores MI
Melissa M. R.	40-44	0:24:45	Washington, DC
Kathryn Shaffer	40-44	0:26:02	Durango, CO
Linda Kuil	40-44	0:28:26	Shirley, NY
Katrina R.	40-44	0:28:36	Fresno, CA
leeannwc	40-44	0:28:41	Louisville, KY
Denise Laird	40-44	0:29:18	Portland, OR
Michaele	40-44	0:29:28	Danbury CT
AmyE68	40-44	0:31:11	Madrid, Spain
KARLA	40-44	0:31:25	SUSANVILLE, CA
MIgurlinNC	40-44	0:31:47	Edenton, NC
LJ	40-44	0:31:53	Helsinki, Finland (Europe)
Mary	40-44	0:32:54	Denver
Dre	40-44	0:33:15	Virginia Beach, VA
Hmsbluebird	40-44	0:33:20	Edmonds, WA
TRACY	40-44	0:34:03	PEARLAND, TX
Wanda	40-44	0:34:13	Memphis, TN
mlcwildlifepr	40-44	0:34:51	Social Circle, GA
Anna's Guy	40-44	0:36:48	Concord, NH
Kim	40-44	0:37:22	Pittsburgh PA
Dbob	40-44	0:38:50	Washington, DC
cari_pta	40-44	0:38:53	Coulterville, IL
Lenora	40-44	0:39:53	Washington, Utah
Jodie P	40-44	0:40:00	Missouri
tammy	40-44	0:40:10	lebanon pa
TLR	40-44	0:41:15	Albany, NY
Sara Weber	40-44	0:42:17	Durand WI
kellyp	40-44	0:43:08	sc
Rosie Triebner	40-44	0:43:20	London, ON, Canada
karen k	40-44	0:44:16	ft. smith, AR
Karen	40-44	0:44:30	Mitchell, Manitoba Canada
clemandbetty	40-44	0:44:32	Waterloo, Iowa
Kimberly	40-44	0:44:48	Springfield, VA
Melissa G	40-44	0:46:08	Salem, OR
Jenny Cook	40-44	0:46:39	Wapakoneta, OH
Colleen Del	40-44	0:47:13	Easthampton, MA
Ang Campbell	40-44	0:49:29	New Orleans, Louisiana
Leesa Wyzard	40-44	0:51:03	Owasso, OK
Alice H.	40-44	0:51:36	Schererville, Indiana
Shawna S.	40-44	0:54:39	Olalla, WA
sherryberryboo	40-44	0:54:59	fort smith, arkansas
Essie A.	40-44	0:57:08	Tallassee, AL
Amanda	40-44	0:57:28	Canada
Lisa	40-44	1:00:00	Iowa
Carol H	40-44	1:02:33	Norwood, MA
iamsue89	40-44	1:02:48	Bend, Oregon
Amy	40-44	1:03:20	Saginaw,  MI
michelleb	40-44	1:04:00	Wichita KS
Betsy	40-44	1:05:30	Omaha, NE
scrappincat	40-44	1:05:54	San Marcos, CA
Jen	40-44	1:24:00	Mesa, Arizona
ironman375	45-49	0:22:35	Southgate
AlisonMK	45-49	0:26:57	Lombard, IL
christina12	45-49	0:29:08	Taylorville, IL
Tracey S.	45-49	0:33:02	Rye Brook, NY
Kathy Mc	45-49	0:33:11	Oahu, HI
Jenna B	45-49	0:34:07	New York City
LindaHP	45-49	0:34:15	Oak Hill, WV
Tammy	45-49	0:35:09	Woodbury, MN
chefgia	45-49	0:35:25	Ann Arbor
Angela Lee	45-49	0:36:07	Los Angeles
Debrasdream	45-49	0:37:06	Blue Springs, MO
Donna b	45-49	0:38:21	Savannah Georgia
Teresa O	45-49	0:39:30	nashville, tn
Laura H	45-49	0:41:30	Eliot, Maine
Emmielisa	45-49	0:41:46	Yerington, NV
Julie Dozier	45-49	0:43:39	South Bend, Indiana
T	45-49	0:45:00	Bristol, Indiana
Tricia	45-49	0:46:16	Austin, Texas
Tammy B	45-49	0:46:35	Jacksonville, FL
Shelley Draur	45-49	0:48:27	Des Moines, Ia
DebbieF	45-49	0:49:38	Elmhurst, IL
Kelly Louise	45-49	0:52:06	Providence, Utah
Linda Heinen	45-49	0:53:20	Victoria, MN
debbieh	45-49	0:54:24	CA
Lynne	45-49	0:58:04	Fall River, Wisconsin
Sheri Montgomery	45-49	0:58:28	Killeen, Texas
Lorenda	50-54	0:29:30	Jackson, MI
RunningMomAndGrandma	50-54	0:31:20	Doran, MN
Karis	50-54	0:34:22	Surrey, BC, Canada
Carol Bondarew	50-54	0:35:11	Lawrenceville GA
Andy_54	50-54	0:35:38	Dayton, Ohio
Rose	50-54	0:35:44	South Park, PA
Paris Jan	50-54	0:38:38	Ames, Iowa
Shannon	50-54	0:43:57	Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada
Allegro	50-54	0:46:00	Atlanta, ga
sunnyruth	50-54	0:46:10	Washington, DC
Beth	50-54	0:47:00	Talladega, Alabama
Caroline	50-54	0:55:13	California
LisainAK	50-54	0:59:01	Valdez, AK
Colleen	50-54	1:02:00	Michigan City, In.
Joanne Frick	50-54	1:06:23	Kent, OH
Kathi Alberson	50-54	untimed	Las Cruces, NM
Debbie	55-59	0:30:28	Mohegan Lake, NY
bmerri	55-59	0:36:08	Ames, Iowa
Rhonda Wills	55-59	0:36:28	Green Valley, AZ
Liz Sanders	55-59	0:53:42	Magna, Utah
Sue (my mom!)	60-64	0:41:57	Newport, MI
Carla	60-64	0:49:43	Cleveland, Ohio
Pam Holmes	60-64	1:00:00	Lincoln, NE
Kathleen	65-69	0:28:16	Pearland, TX

Some fun statistics:

*There were 926 people signed up for the race.
*There were 453 reported finishers (people who filled out the form)--49% of those that were signed up. I think that's pretty good for a free virtual race!
*110 of the finishers reported that this was their FIRST 5K race--CONGRATS to you!!
*There were people from all age groups, except for the "over 70" group:

*As you can see, most people were in their 20's and 30's.

And finally, here is a list of the winners of the prizes! I haven't e-mailed the winners yet, but I hope to do that Monday or Tuesday. Putting this post together took me all day long, and I'm exhausted! ;)  But CONGRATS to the following people:

If you participated in this race and you happen to still be a reader of my blog, I'd love to hear from you! How have things changed/stayed the same since the race? :)  As you all know, I'm a WHOLE lot slower and I don't like to race anymore, but I still like to run... once in a while ;) 

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Jerry Loses His Dad Bod: Week 2

Well, I'm feeling no better than I was yesterday. I actually feel worse--much more congested and my throat is killing me. I'm also super exhausted for no reason. I'm incredibly bored just sitting around, but I physically can't do much without getting winded and tired. I haven't taken another COVID test yet--I'll take one tomorrow if I still have symptoms.

It's kind of funny how just a few years ago, I would have just thought I had a cold and felt like crap for a couple of days and not really thought anything of it. Now, though, any sort of sickness symptoms immediately makes us think COVID. I am supposed to see friends this weekend--twice--and I'll be super bummed to have to cancel.

Anyway, today is Jerry's second week weigh-in day for Project: Lose Dad Bod. His results...

He was at 191.8, which is down from 192.4 last week--so, not a huge drop, but a loss nonetheless! (Definitely more than I can say about myself recently.)

As far as his body fat and waist measurement go:

His body fat was at 23.3%, which is down from 23.6% last week--not bad for a week!--and his waist measurement was at 34.4, which is the same as last week. I'd say he did good overall!

I asked him how his week went and here is what he said:

"I stuck to my plan all week except for Monday when I snacked after work. My food has been heavier than normal; I tried to mix it up a couple of days by adding fruit (I'm really bad at eating fruit and vegetables), and I felt good about eating the fruit with my usual stuff at work. I drank my entire water goal except for yesterday; it seems like it's harder for me to drink all my water when I'm at home. I ate inside my intermittent fasting eating window (8 hours, but I usually keep it to about 6 hours).

The goals I want to aim for this week: eat more fruits and vegetables; eat things that aren't as dense and heavy; maintain my water intake; maintain my activity; and hopefully not get COVID from Katie (we keep calling it COVID, but we don't know if that's what it is yet).

I *might* go to the rec center this week to work out with Eli. Eli's a beast and it would be fun to work out with him. But we'll see."

Overall, I'm happy for Jerry that he's sticking with this! I've been a terrible example for him, even though I try to be encouraging. He inspires me on Tuesdays when he does his weigh-in and it makes me wish I looked forward to my weigh-ins again. (I used to like weighing in every week when things were going well.)

I'm going to state right now that I'm not doing a weigh-in tomorrow. I'm going to use my birthday AND being sick as an excuse to skip the scale. (Yes, I know it's an excuse, and a lame one, but I just need a break right now. The last few weeks several months have been rough on me.)

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Boogie Bag

This year just keeps getting better! Yesterday, I did some work in the yard for a few hours and when I came in, I was sniffling all day. I just assumed it was because it was fairly cold outside (not bad, but you know how when you are outside in the cold for a little while, your nose tends to run?).

Then, last night before I went to bed, my throat felt very dry and it hurt to swallow--no matter how much water I drank. When I woke up at 2:00 AM, I was totally miserable. I couldn't get comfortable! My throat felt like I was swallowing razor blades and my nose was super dry. I ended up getting up and out of bed at 2:00 because there was no way I could fall back asleep.

Jerry made me a "boogie bag" this morning like he did when I had COVID last May (so I can throw my used tissues in there).

I kept having to blow my nose, which of course meant no sleep. Today, I've just felt very run down. And I've been feeling worse by the hour...  sore throat, headache, dry/runny nose (how does that happen at the same time?!), and now chills and body aches. I just took my temperature and it's at 100.1, which isn't super high, but mine is always in the mid- to low-97s.

I hate feeling hot/cold/hot/cold constantly! I've been eating ice all day because it feels good on my throat, and taking acetaminophen and ibuprofen for my headache.

I took a COVID test and it was negative, but that didn't surprise me. When I had COVID in May, I took a test for four days in a row before it was positive! So I'll take another tomorrow. For now, I'm just going to (try to) rest. I can't get comfortable for the life of me! But maybe since I didn't get any sleep last night, I'll be able to sleep a little tonight. I'm really hoping this doesn't last long... ugh.

Duck has been keeping me company, of course. I swear, that cat NEVER leaves my side!

(Even as I type this, he's trying to get between me and the computer.)

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VEGAN RECIPE: Deli Slices (a modified recipe I finally perfected!)

I wasn't really sure what to call this post--it's not a simple review, but rather a recipe where I modified a the method a bit to *finally* make what I was hoping for: perfect seitan "turkey". I'd made several recipes around Thanksgiving and just couldn't get it "right"--the texture was always somehow off (a little or a lot).

The flavor also always had a very subtle underlying yeast-like taste (that sounds gross, but think of it like bread; which makes sense, considering a main ingredient is vital wheat gluten). It didn't taste BAD, and I actually found it pretty good--it just wasn't what I was going for.

I didn't want to give up on seitan, though--it's such a great vegan food! It has a very surprising nutrition profile, similar to meat (only without the saturated fat and cholesterol). Here is the info for this particular recipe (one serving, which is one-eighth of the "loaf"--a pretty large portion!):

The recipe I used for this was called Vegan Deli Slices (Smoked Seitan Turkey) and is meant to resemble the slices of smoked deli turkey--you know, the kind you put on sandwiches. Jerry loves sandwiches, and they are convenient for him to bring to work, so I thought I'd give this recipe a try.

It's from It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken, so I was skeptical; I'd tried her Thanksgiving turkey recipe and it didn't turn out very well. It wasn't terrible, but it was actually my least favorite of the ones I'd tried. The flavor was good but the texture was kind of spongy (and it had that yeasty undertone).

After playing around with more recipes, I learned that certain cooking methods worked better than others--and after putting some tips together with others, I *finally* perfected it! (The way my family likes it, anyway.)

The flavor is perfect: it's subtle, like with deli turkey, but you could certainly add more seasoning to give it a stronger flavor or even change the flavor profile altogether. There is zero yeast-like taste or smell. It's not spongy. And my favorite part is that it develops a slightly chewier outside "skin" on it, just like deli meat--you know, how the edge of each slice has a very thin skin? Yes, this seitan even has that!

We like to slice this and eat it cold (I don't make sandwiches or anything--I just eat slices of it because it's delicious!) Jerry likes it both on sandwiches and just plain. Noah will eat it plain. (Eli won't eat it because it's "weird" vegan food.)

The first time I made this recipe it was way too dry and I had to add a lot of water. I realized that was my fault because I'd pressed the tofu first and the recipe said just to drain it. Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself. Here is (what I think is) the best seitan yet!

Here are the ingredients:

Firm tofu, white miso paste, apple cider vinegar, liquid smoke, salt, sage, onion powder, garlic powder, water, nutritional yeast, vital wheat gluten, and (which I forgot to picture) vegan bouillon powder or cube or paste. (I use a Not Chick'n cube. Usually when something calls for vegan bouillon, I use the homemade powder that I always rave about. But that gave this "turkey" loaf a yellow-tint, and it wasn't as appealing-looking.)

Note: This uses firm tofu and not the extra firm tofu that I usually buy. Also, I used rubbed sage even though the recipe calls for ground sage. I just use 1/2 tsp instead of a 1/4 tsp to make up the difference.

First, you just drain the tofu straight from the package. I don't freeze the tofu first and then thaw before using, like I usually do; for this, I just buy it refrigerated and from the refrigerator, I drain it--no squeezing or pressing. The liquid it holds is needed.

From here, I'm describing how I make it. Some of it varies from the original recipe in order to make this to my family's preferences.

So, after you drain the tofu, you just measure everything EXCEPT FOR the vital wheat gluten into a food processor or blender. I use this Ninja blender because it also has a dough blade/cycle, which is helpful later. You can use whatever tools you have that will 1) blend all of the ingredients--except the gluten--into a very, very smooth purée; and 2) be able to mix in the gluten.

The gluten thickens the dough very very quickly and it's not as easy to work with as bread dough or pizza dough. It's TOUGH. And that's why I like to use the dough blade on the Ninja. I haven't tried it, but I imagine the dough hook on a stand mixer might work, too. Otherwise, you can use a very sturdy utensil and some serious elbow grease to mix it together by hand.

Okay, so everything is measured into the food processor (except for the gluten). You'll have to break the tofu into pieces to get it to fit.

Then just let it rip. To get it completely smooth, I have to stop every 30 seconds or so and scrape down the sides to make sure everything gets mixed in. This is the part I dislike the most! I just use a small spatula to push it all down to the bottom, then blend again. Finally, I'll be satisfied when it looks like this:

It's basically the consistency of hummus. From there, I switch to the dough blade (it looks like the stacked blades that I use for blending, but the blades are made of plastic instead of steel).

Next, you dump in the vital wheat gluten:

I set it on the dough cycle, which is one minute long. It will come together quickly into a ball and the blender basically kneads it for about 15 seconds in the end. The original recipe says not to knead it, because it will turn the seitan tough and rubbery--but I've found that when you don't knead it, it has a spongey texture. I think kneading it is key for this.

(Or, if you're mixing by hand, scrape all of the wet mixture into a large bowl and add the gluten--then stir it all together until you can't stir anymore, and begin to knead by hand.)

After the dough cycle, it'll look like this:

At that point, it will feel a little sticky, but it will hold together and won't stick to your hands.

I lay out a long piece of foil--about 24 inches!--and put the ball on that.

From there, I knead the dough the best I can to get it to look uniform. It's really hard to make it smooth because the wheat gluten makes it springy. It wants to hold its shape. So I basically pinch closed all of the crevices I can, then try to smooth it all out the best that I can. There will likely be some crevices that you miss on the inside, which you'll see in the photos after it cooks, but it won't affect the taste or texture. There may just be a few holes in the slices.

Try your best to form it into a log shape. You don't want it to be too long because you want the there to be a few inches of foil on each side of the ends of the loaf.

There is no need to grease the foil. The original recipe says to roll it loosely in the foil to allow it to expand, but I've found that the texture is MUCH better when you roll it as tightly as possible. That's why I use such a long piece of foil--it won't come apart or break while it's cooking.

So I place the log at one end of the foil and, as tightly as I can, I roll it into the entire length of the foil so it looks like this:

Then, to make it even tighter and to seal the ends, I twist each end very tightly, while being careful not to rip the foil.

It will feel very tight and you'll be tempted to play with it--toss it around, bounce it, squeeze it--or maybe that's just me, who knows.

Anyway, prep a steamer basket--I use this silicone one that I bought on Amazon, but I don't love it, so I personally wouldn't recommend it; but it works, so I still use it. I put it in a large pan filled with water that stops just underneath the basket (you don't want to submerge the foil--it should be above the water). 

I the foil-rolled log into the basket and put a lid on it; then turn the heat on high until it starts to boil. Then I reduce the heat to medium-low (a "3" on a 1-10 gas stove) and set the timer for 60 minutes.

I *always* keep a large (quart-sized) measuring cup full of water next to the stove to add a little water to the bottom of the pan once in a while. I've made the mistake of forgetting to add water and when it burned dry, the smoke alarm went off for a while before I figured out what the issue was!

After 60 minutes, I turn off the heat and remove the foil wrapped log. It will feel extremely tight and kind of bouncy, like it's going to burst. For some reason, I love the way it feels, haha. But it'll be very hot, obviously--set it on a plate and let it cool off for a while. Don't unwrap it!

Then, when it's cooled down a bit (I give it a couple of hours), put it in the refrigerator--still in the foil--and leave it there all night long. Do not open it until the next day! If you do, the texture will be a bit spongey. But if you're patient, the following day it will be completely chilled and it'll feel a lot looser inside the foil.

Unwrap the foil and it will look like this:

Kinda neat-looking, right?

You can slice it thin for sandwiches (use a very sharp knife, or even a bread knife):

Or, what I like to do, is slice some of it thin for sandwiches and then slice bigger chunks into thick stick-like pieces for snacking:

Beware that this seitan is super addicting! Before becoming vegan, I was never a huge fan of deli meat--I could eat a little of it and then I would be grossed out at the thought of it. And when there were fatty striations in it (like in ham) I couldn't eat it at all. I *love* that there is no risk of biting into a piece of fat or something in this! I could eat this all day long and never get grossed out by it.

I haven't tried warming this up yet--we've always just eaten it cold--but I may start playing around with the recipe now that I've perfected the cooking method and texture.

It may look like a lot of work, but it honestly isn't bad. The prep work is little--just measure and blend everything. The hardest part is kneading in the gluten, but after that, you just let it steam and you don't have to do any more work. I make two loaves at a time (prepping one while the other is steaming) because we go through it pretty quickly.

I store it in an airtight container in the fridge. I don't know how long it keeps, because I think the longest it's lasted in our house is three days! But I've read that seitan freezes really well. You'll have to do your own research on that.

I totally understand that seitan is a "weird" vegan food and why people wouldn't even want to bother with it. Before becoming vegan, I wouldn't have even read this post, let alone consider making the seitan! Haha. But if you're an adventurous eater, I'd give it a try. I'm so glad I didn't give up on it, because it's one of my favorite foods now!

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(Almost) Wordless: On This Day

I'm not going to write a post today. I've had an exhausting day! But I grabbed a few pictures from previous years' January 21...

These are a couple of side-by-side pictures from my Runner's World photo shoot. My friend Stephanie took some pictures of the photographer taking pictures of me--it's kind of cool to see them side-by-side. The background was just a large white piece of paper (we did the shoot at my mom's house). The pictures on the right are two of the ones used in Runner's World.

 
Here is Jerry shoveling snow in swim trunks (2015):

And here is a picture of Big Mama (2020). Sadly, we haven't seen her for the last couple of years. She used to be at the door every single morning waiting for nuts, before any other squirrels, and one day she just stopped showing up.

But I'm pretty sure several of her babies are "regulars" now ;)

Have a good night!

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