I cannot remember the last time I used my snowshoes for hiking or for racing. But that didn’t hold me back when Rachel asked if I wanted to do the Snowshoe Scurry (Race #2) yesterday – count me in! Rachel signed me up as a holiday gift!!!! <— best gift ever!
The Snowshoe Scurry is a five race series in Wisconsin, near the Madison area. Each race is at a different location, and has a 5K or 10K snowshoe option, and sometimes other options like fat tire bike or duathlon. Each race finishes with chili and hot drinks! And includes a buff and free race photos! Woo hoo!
I couldn’t remember which distance Rachel signed us up for (and was too lazy to read my email, apparently) so I texted her Saturday to ask and she responded “5k! I’m not sure I’d survive a 10k in snowshoes haha.”
Good point! Snowshoe races are hard. Running on snow is difficult enough, right? But when you wear snowshoes, you have to widen your stance to run, so you don’t trip on yourself. It taxes your body much differently than regular running! And if there is a terrain change, you have to change how you pick up your feet. Your heart rate gets jacked up! And it’s totally fun! But to Rachel’s point, just 5K fun!!!
The race was held at Pleasant View Golf Course in Middleton and the 5K race started shortly after the 10Kers around 9:10. I was worried I’d be cold since it was 18° and windy, but we ran quite a bit in the woods and had wind protection there, and the open areas didn’t feel bad at all. Phew! I even pulled my buff down off my mouth a few times (can’t remember the last time I did that)!
Some of the people doing this race were F-A-S-T. As in, the 10Kers started about 10 minutes before us, but they lapped us when we were in our final mile. Whoa! (The 10K winner finished in 46:24, and the 5K winner finished in 24:23, 15 people did the 10K, and 37 did the 5K).
Our goal was to have fun and not fall! And we accomplished both, yay!
We kept up a steady pace, and walked a few of the hills – because we were near Madison, so of course, it’s hilly! I had no idea what our pace was while we were running. I just checked my watch a few times to see what miles we were in (the course was marked great, but no mile markers), but didn’t notice pace. Our official finish time was 45:52. I compared that to the other two snowshoe 5Ks I’ve done – 44:21 and 44:09 – consistent!
We had a lot of fun out there, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t happy to change in to dry clothes and have a hot cup of cider! We hung around the post race party for a bit then headed out to brunch at Monty’s Blue Plate Diner in Madison! I had the delicious vegan hash and took home a vegan brownie. Drool.
What a fun day! I am glad it worked out that I could do this race with Rachel. I contacted her at the end of December to ask when we could meet in January to exchange holiday gifts, and she mentioned she might be doing this race and asked if I’d like to join her. Yay for impromptu racing, and for doing a race together! I hope this is the first of many races we do together this year?! Next time, it will have to be MY treat!!!
This looks so fun. I have been wanting to try a snowshoe race. Did you get running specific snowshoes?
I hope you get to try one! I have lightweight, shorter aluminum snowshoes, which are better for running. The ones they rented out at the race were even shorter, so those ones may be running specific.
I LOVE that Rachel signed you up for the race as a gift; that’s so thoughtful and fun (and you get memories and free photos!!). I was wondering what running in snowshoes would be like, and you basically confirmed my suspicions: it sounds so hard! I think widening my stance would be the hardest part. Do you use your snowshoes to walk around normally (like, not for races)?
I love it too!!! 🙂
That is the hardest part – you just feel awkward. But you have to keep it up so you don’t trip! I used to be better about using them for walking/hiking, but I haven’t in a while!!!
Sounds like the greatest race ever! So glad that this winter had snow and cold enough temps so that the snowshoe race could take place. Is it a trail run if there is not enough snow? I need to get some snowshoes and sign up for next year’s edition. 🙂
I was glad too! Yes, it would have been a trail race otherwise.
You can rent snowshoes IF you want to do one of the next three races 🙂
I wonder if I could reserve a pair in advance? Or maybe I should just invest in a cheap pair so I could also have them for workouts – when and if we ever get more snow around here! Are you thinking of doing any of the next 3 races?
It seems as if you can, based on some of the stuff they were saying. I would just get a pair though! I have Yukons. Not sure how cheap they were!
We may do the one on Jan 21!!!
The one on Jan 21st is the only one I could possibly swing. I am going to see if I can do it and also check out acquiring some Yukons. However, with my luck and the way winter goes around here, it will be 60 degrees and rainy! 🙂
Oh schweet! But yeah, that probably would make it so it was really warm with no snow that day 😉
Let me know if you need help with the snowshoes! It looks like you can get a discount if you sign up for the Yukon email. I glanced really quick and saw an EXPENSIVE fance pair on there lol.
Unfortunately, now it looks like I won’t be able to make it. I’m probably going to run the F^3 Half the day before. However, I still want to get some snowshoes (will see about the Yukon discount) and then I will keep my eyes open for a local snowshoe race! Hopefully this weather will turn more seasonal!
Oh cool! Have a good race, and I hope you guys have good weather!
And I hope you do get some snowshoes – they’re fun!
That’s so cool! What a great present.
It totally is!
What a fun race and what a cool gift 🙂 I love the cheesy buff too (which reminds me, I used my Frosty 2016 buff yesterday – definitely came in handy!)
It’s nuts that anyone could do that 5k in under 25 minutes! I bet that was a really good workout! Are you sore at all from it? My quads get sore just running in snow, I can’t imagine in snow shoes!
I really love having a variety of buffs – thin ones like this, the thick Frosty one, and those in between!
Sub 25 is so impressive in snowshoes! Oddly, I am not sore from that or from running in the snow on Saturday. Strange!
Snowshoe racing sounds SO challenging! I’ve never actually worn snowshoes, so I’m just guessing based on how they look, but it’s got to be such an adjustment to suddenly have MUCH bigger feet than you’re used to. Just walking like that seems like it would be difficult enough, never mind running!
No vegan donuts at Monty’s Blue Plate Diner?!
It really is! Walking on them is too. I feel like you get in a rhythm with both, and practice definitely helps (had I done any, ha).
No! But I have a follow-up post on that. Ha ha ha.
Well now I’ve heard of everything – a snowshoe race? That’s wild! I like y’all’s snowshoes, they look modern and technical, not like the oversized tennis-racket-looking snowshoes I’m familiar with.
Yeah! They are definitely more modern. I cannot imagine running in the old school kind (although those have their benefits, too!).
Cool!!!! (And cold, too)
Yeah! But warmer than it had been all week, ha!
That looks awesome! We got snowshoes last year but really didn’t have the chance to use them. This year, the snow in Colorado has been depressingly terrible, so we’ll see…
But way to go! I’ve only hiked a bit in snowshoes, but can well imagine that running is WAAAAYYYY harder.
Oh man! I hope you get a chance to use them this year! Hiking and running are both HARD in snowshoes!!!