2014 Sgt Preston Yukon Run

The Sgt Preston Yukon Run is a race that takes place at the Winter Sports Complex in Muskegon, Michigan. There is an option to either run a flat, fast 5k or a hilly 6 mile races. This race takes place on New Years day no matter what the weather is like. I've ran this race since 1/1/07 when I was a freshman in high school. A friend of mine told me about this race and with me wanting to do an off ball race I decided it sounded fun. Here we are 8 years later and I haven't missed one since. In my history of this race I've ran both races in a wide range of weather conditions. Its been in the 50s and raining or in the 30's and a huge blizzard or like this year in single digit tempetures with snow/ice covered roads.

For this years race I decided to run the 5k for the second year in a row due to the lack of running I do anymore and that I was in the process of finishing off the season before taking a month or so off before indoor training starts in Febuary. I put in a about 2 1/2 weeks of easy running and I was feeling pretty bad about how my times were so I wasn't expecting much out of this years race. I was going to be happy going sub 20 since the 5k I did on thanksgiving day was so slow.  I did my typical 20ish minute warm up and just tried to stay loose and get in the into my zone. I love listening to Lacrae when I'm warming up so that what I did. I lined up toward the front but a few rows back like I always do. Once the gun went off I knew I was in trouble. I got boxed in so I made a few risky passes and pushed a few people out of my way. Once I got around the first courner and onto the main road I had clear path to start clicking people off. Thankfully I decided to wear my track spikes that day because the road was so slippery. I went through the mile mark at 5:56 and was sitting in about 6th or 7th. I got into a pace and just tried to push and stay off the ground. By the turn around point I was into 5th and making a charge for 4th. I went through 2 miles at 11:50 and getting closer and closer to 4th place. I passed into 4th at about the 2 1/2 mile mark and tried to hold it but about 1/4 mile later got passed back. I went through the finish line in 5th with a time of 18:36. I won my age group so that's pretty cool. Thats the 2nd year in a row that I have won my age group.

This years Sgt. Preston was a good one. It's always fun to start the new year out with a race and race with some runners that I battled with throughout high school. In the 8 years I have ran this race I have signed up for 7 of them and ghost ran it one year. I have brought home 6 medals so far. So I would say that I have done pretty well at this race and even though my focus is mountain biking I will probably keep running this race because it just feels normal.

Thanks to my mom and niece for helping me out on race day.
Thanks to my sponsors for 2014

• Crank Brothers
• Spy Optics
• Hammer Nutrition
• Breakaway Bicycles of Muskegon
• Renthal Cycling