My first 10k! And one of my favoritest races I've ever run…read more The course was awesome--it winds through the streets of Dearborn, through Henry Ford Community College, DOWN A HIGHWAY ON-RAMP (how bad-ass!), and through some beautiful wooded paths. There were definitely some slightly hilly portions, but nothing that I was going to let stop me. The race shirt was also awesome--an ugly-as-sin technical tee that's become one of my go-to running shirts. I have to admit I also fell for the goofy, poorly executed Martian theme. Random dudes in black suits a la Agent Smith would pace the edges of the course at points. Once, someone in a terrible $3 alien costume popped out of some bushes. The mile markers were Martian-themed. All in all, it was charmingly kitschy and delivered some laughs during the race. I'll be missing this race this year since I moved away from Michigan, but if I ever have a return visit that coincides, I'd happy run the Martian 10k again! (Pro tip: There's a 5k, half marathon, and full marathon course as well, so you can choose your poison based on your combined insanity and fitness level.)

I ran the 2011 version of this race yesterday. This is my second time for this race. I also ran…read morethe 2008 version. My wife, and her friend , ran the 1/2 marathon. We all had a good time. This is a good race series to get the cob webs off after a winter of being cooped up in a state of semi-inactivity. The course is relatively flat and fast (although no records were in danger of falling from our group yesterday). There were about 5000 people by my guesstimate participating. The martian theme is always fun. We all got a nice technical tee shirt. The expo was well done the day before. There was lots of running stuff and the expo seemed to be well attended both by patrons and vendors. The after race food and water was plentiful. There were more than enough portable toilets at the start/finish area. Now for some things that weren't so well done. This was our first time at this race location. We were unfamiliar with the area and relied on the website for guidance. It said there was plenty of parking at Ford Field (not the one downtown). We followed the directions only to find the road to the designated parking was blocked off. We had to do a U-turn (along with everybody else on the street) and find parking in downtown Dearborn. This proved to be several blocks away in a parking lot that we had to pay for. OK, it was only 50 cents/hour but still.... The announcers lost power at the start of the 10K. I just saw the masses moving forward and figured this must be it. The website advertised drink stations every two miles. This was not an exact science. The first one was shortly after the 1st mile. The next one was shortly after the 4th mile. My wife was disappointed that she didn't bring some water for herself. Bathrooms were supposed to be every 5 miles along the race course. They seemed to be further than this and some were closed. Still, even though it wasn't perfect, we all had a great experience. We'll be back again next year.

Motor City Half-Marathon (formerly U.S.-Only Half-Marathon) became my excuse to return to Detroit…read moreMichigan in the fall. Part of the Detroit Free Press Marathon which I have ran in the past as well as the International Detroit Free Press Half-Marathon. The Motor City Half-Marathon course runs only through Detroit rather than both Detroit and Windsor, Ontario Canada. It is the perfect option if you do not have a passport which is a requirement to have in order to run the Marathon or International Half-Marathon. For the health & fitness expo, we were required to pick up our bib number and t-shirt from Huntington Place, which is the 16th largest convention center in the United States. I never have the interest in staying long because I always just want to tour downtown Detroit sites like Monument to Joe Louis, and Philip A Hart Plaza. And besides, the expo was very congested, and I personally do not do well mingling within congested areas that involve maneuvering around individuals. But moreover, even with that, I did not once stand in any long lines due to how organized everything was. And for that, I thank the volunteers of Detroit Free Press Marathon very much! With the uncertainty of how my legs will perform, I had to dig down going into this run being that I ran the Chicago Marathon the previous weekend. I have been a runner long enough to know that as long as I am mentally strong, there is not anything that can break my spirit. The morning of the event, I had Victory (feat. The Notorious B.I.G. & Busta Rhymes) stuck in my head which I honestly have not listened to in years. It was the perfect hype up song prior to me making my way to the starting line. I had the luxury of sleeping in due to the Motor City Half-Marathon starting at 10:30 AM; three hours after the start of the Detroit Free Press Marathon, and International Half-Marathon, so there was no excuse in getting 7 hours of sleep before the run. The run course, I must say, was relatively flat with only one slight incline on course. The only battle I dealt with mentally was telling myself to keep my pace underneath an 8-minute mile, even while feeling a slight pain in my left ankle and in my left hamstring which went away as I ran along the course. In those times, I eased my run pace and sort of glided because there were still miles ahead. I had to remind myself to be patient and take it mile by mile because I will eventually get to that finish line at some point. I cannot remember any portion of the course that did not have any spectators on it, even with there being a few events attached to the Detroit Free Press Marathon which were identifiable by the color of the bibs. Along the course, each mile was marked, and there were plentiful hydration stations featuring a combination of Gatorade followed by water; both were identifiable by cups given by volunteers. And the volunteers working those hydration stations were cheerful and supportive of all runners. It made my day to hear my runner nickname, "The Gazelle" being cheered at several points along the course by either spectators or volunteers. The cheers gave me a boost in energy as I acknowledged the person in the form of either raising my hands, throwing up the number one or peace sign, or even yelling "Yeah!". Highlights for me along the run course were running downtown Detroit, seeing Comerica Park (Home of the Detroit Tigers baseball team) during the earlier portion of the run, and sights of MotorCity Casino Hotel which is such a beauty! Chit Chatting with a run couple around mile 6 took my mind off the run and was yet another thing that kept me on pace. The couple wore matching American flag shorts and off-and-on received cheers of "U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!" which I totally adored. It is things like that, that make the United States of America such a great place to be born in. As for the swag, the Detroit Free Press t-shirt was gray with the event name written on the left breast and Detroit 13.1 with 24 printed in the image of the Ambassador Bridge. I loved how the bib matched with my orange HOKA Clifton 3 run shoes, and cute donut print ChicknLegs running brand shorts that many could not take their eyes off of, tehehe. The finishers medal featured the Spirit of Detroit monument on it, with the Ambassador Bridge behind it. I am so grateful to add yet another finishers medal to my run medal collection, a collection that goes back to 2007 when I initially started running. With my inactive Garmin 305 GPS watch on my wrist, sparkle in my eye underneath my sunglasses, and donut print run shorts by ChicknLegs on, I took on this half marathon.... and conquered it! Yes, I would surely run the Motor City Half-Marathon again because it is yet another excuse to revisit Detroit. ~Gonna run 'til I don't jiggle. ~ Thomas G

SURVIVORS - CO-SURVIVORS - WALKERS FOR THOSE WHO PASSED - STRENGTH…read more I volunteered for the Avon Breast Cancer walk 2007 in SF. Although I was at the registration booth and not at the actual race, it was one of the most admirable and inspiring events I've attended. Learning about peoples stories, how many different teams there are, the custom made t-shirts and signs, diversity, and so much more, but most importantly the cause. I came across the Race for the Cure on the Detroit news and remembered the joy of volunteering last year, I decided to join again. This time, I joined on the day of the race....doing Children's Face Painting! I am definitely not the best face painter, but I enjoyed every moment of it! I arrived at 6:30am, already full of people, and got on the job at 7:30am. It was kid after kid, smiles and smiles, next thing I knew, it was 10am and it was time to clean up. I had so much fun, I forgot to take a break or even get something to eat! I met a bunch of great people who have been volunteering for years. There was a stage where the host was getting everyone to walk down the pink carpet. "Walk for those who can't! Walk for those who can't! Survivor! Survivor! Walk if you are a survivor! Fighters! Fighters! We will fight! We will fight! ....." The host was yelling those inspirational words to the beat of the drums. Many people danced their way down the pink carpet while a photographer took pictures of them at the end. There were people dancing from the bleachers. Everyone was having a great time! Nothing beats the feeling of volunteering your time or joining a great cause. I am looking forward to next years walk and any other's I come across until then. ~INSPIRED

This motivational, inspirational, and welcome to reality fundraiser held in Comerica Park is a must…read morefor anyone and everyone. Celebrating survivors and supporting suffers of breast cancer, this one day event has grown so large they had to move from the Detroit Zoo in Royal Oak to Woodward Ave and Comerica Park. It's absolutely shocking to see that the majority of participants are somehow, some way, involved with breast cancer, whether it be a grieving friend, a fighting survivor, or a fellow co-worker, the Walk for the Cure will make you realize that you are support a cause that affects well, almost everyone. Often held in mid-July by the Karmanos Cancer Institute this 2 mile walk/run is a fantastic way to get involved and support a worthy cause. Check out the website for exact days, registration info and more.

My first Turkey Trot and I had an absolute blast! The race was well organized. The amount of people…read moreracing was quit impressive. I enjoyed seeing all the creative outfits. There were multiple race options to choose from...I did the 5K Stuffing Strut. The race started early and I brought a change of clothes to tailgate. There was plenty of time for fun before heading over to Ford Field to watch the game. I can't wait until next year!

My first turkey trot was today. I did the 1 mile and then the 5k for the cranberry combo…read more The pre-event communication was perfect- detailed and not too many emails. But the routes were clear and they did a good job of setting expectations. The 1 miler was easy and well planned. I was running late so I started late so when I tried to get to the start, it was already blocked off and I ended up having to go past a barrier onto the course, which screwed up my time. But it was clock timed and I used my fitbit instead so no biggie. I liked the route along Jefferson by the Joe Louis Arena. I didn't get a medal since there was a separate combo medal. After the 1 mile, they had a very efficient route and chute to head to the start of the 5k which had a different start location (on Griswold near guardian building). There were plenty of portapotties. However, I couldn't find a trash can ANYWHERE! so, I ended up carrying my empty water bottle for the first 2 miles of the 5k. The 5k was a bib timed event. There were 5 different waves based on self-identified run speed. The waves were in corrals. With 10k participants, I'm impressed how smooth the start was. In the 4th wave, we went thru the starting line about 15 minutes after the race start time. The first mile had a couple bottlenecks but then it spaced out and I had lots of room. There were a lot of walkers in the first waves who interrupted the flow a bit but most of us just ran around them. I loved running on Woodward right before the parade! So much fun and then seeing other runners on the other side of Woodward was really cool. The route is through downtown and ends behind cobo on the riverfront. The finish was a bit cramped. There was a long walk to the end of the blockade where people got medals. And the water was only on one side of a wide area so you had to zip zag across. Apparently, there was food and snacks but I never saw them. Not sure if they were inside cobo? As I mentioned, there was a special combo medal for the 1 mile and 5 k (cranberry combo) and a different medal for the double (5k and 10k trot). I had to go inside to get that medal but the signage wasn't very clear where to go. It was pretty overwhelming inside. There was an expo with vendors but I didn't check it out. I headed to the parade instead! This was a fun race and I'll likely do it again next year.

DON'T COME HERE FOR THE FOOD! The tastes of Detroit include your three major food groups: fried,…read moreburgers, and pizza. OK, there are a few outliers but that is mainly it. And they have vendors from outside of the metro area! BLASPHEMY! The music acts were awesome, I came down here three times to just chill out at the main and jazz/blues stage. Really good music. As for the crowds? Being a Taste of Chicago veteran, masses of sticky, hot sweaty people chowing down on food does not scare me. However, the crowd management and the layout of the venues were disorganized. There was essentially no "control" of the crowds. If something bad happened, there easily would've been a stampede. However, if safety is your main concern -- there are plenty of visible Detroit Police on duty and in uniform. Parking looks like a nightmare, but if you live on or near the campus it's only a short walk on Cass. You can ride your bike too, but someone will tell you that you need to park it (which is fine).

Normally, I'm not a fan of the idea of buying tickets to go buy samples of random food from…read morevendors. However, when I can get some tastes of fried okra and sweet potato pie with those tickets, you can definitely say I'm down. Cityfest is an event in the summer during a week in Detroit where they celebrate Detroit food and have live entertainment. The best part? You get to see some amazing acts perform for free. The year I went, Common and Cat Power were performing -- among many others, and I went to see Common perform at the Motor City Sound Stage, which was set up in the heart of the festival. This year (2008), some performers they have in store are De La Soul, Broken Social Scene, George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic. Pure Detroit also has a great stage which features local and independent music. Besides the food, you will see tents for other local businesses and services. I saw a tent that was offering massages, and one that was selling clothing with non-cheesy Detroit themes. Tip? I'm not a fan of the Port-a-Potty, so you can go into the New Center to use the bathroom. The proceeds go back to into the city of Detroit.

Kimmee and her crew were AMAZING!!! I was looking for a paintball experience for my 8 year old…read moregrandson's birthday party. I came across Paintball2go online. She took care to address all of my many questions and concerns and explained Gellyball vs Paintball for the younger kids. The Gellyball event was at my home in my backyard and Kimmee and her crew arrived, set up, and had the festivities underway with inflatable barriers, face guards, and bang-bangs and the kids had a blast. Absolutely would give more than 5 stars but that's all they allow.

The experience was amazing! Kimmee was so personable, and willing to accommodate for my friend's…read moredaughter's bday party. The 65" arena was perfect for 8 people but could surely fit a few more. It was great being outside and playing... and it's always good to support a black owned business in such a predominately European American field!!

Went to a DCFC game. Keyworth Stadium has been renovated, but it's still the same old bones of the…read morestadium that I remember from 20+ years ago. We had a great time at the game. I'm excited for the new stadium to be finished and to go to a game there.

Don't play for their youth teams. This is a money grabbing organization that preaches respect and…read moreloyalty but will cut your kid in a second if a player from a better organization (there are many im SE Oakland/Macomb Counties) tries out.

Great experience going to my first Detroit Grand Prix. This was downtown around the Ren Cen…read morebuilding and not Belle Isle. We sat in Grandstand 8 and you have to wait for the track to be "cold "to cross; since we were late for the first race we had to wait until it was over to get to our seats. However our seats were awesome.