Biggest Loser Run Walk recap: Six Flags Great Adventure New Jersey

Also known as: that time I fell.

So, spoiler alert, I fell during this race. It was bound to happen; I’ve watched other people fall during races (wincing on their behalf) and knew it was only a matter of time before I was the one going BOOM.

It was my time and it was a spectacular fall. But man, I am so grateful because it could have been so much worse.

As always, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Let me set the stage: it was a cold, blustery day here in New Jersey on Sunday. The rain was non-stop the day prior and everything was still wet from the storm. And it was cold. So cold. Even though it was low 40s, the wind was relentless, making it feel much colder than that.

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Dude, Pooks and I piled on the layers and traveled the half hour from my parents house to Six Flags Great Adventure (fun fact: most other Six Flags parks are called “Six Flags” but we Jersey folk like to refer to ours as Great Adventure). I’d registered for the 10k and Pooks was doing the Kids Mile Fun Run!

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We’d driven up from our house the day prior to do packet pick-up and spent the evening in central Jersey. Once we arrived at the race site, we found that people were still registering and doing packet pick-up. I wish I had known that was an option, as I would have definitely done the morning of the race. Ah well, there’s always next time.

The race village was fairly small and looking around, it seemed like most people there were participating in the 5k, with a smattering of 10kers. We didn’t see many kids at first, but there were about 20 who participated in the Kids Fun Run when the time rolled around.

Dan and Jackie Evans, Biggest Loser season 5, were the event hosts and made everyone feel welcome. I heard them introduce Jenn Widder, also from season 5 and she discussed having a baby and weight loss after pregnancy. It sounds like she’s doing great!

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At the 8am, when the race was supposed to begin, many people were still getting their packets; in fact, the race start was pushed back 15 minutes to allow everyone to start at the same time. While I appreciate the sentiment of that, it was C-O-L-D and I was looking forward to moving.

Thankfully I had the company of Kim from Barking Mad About Running and her friend, Shannon, and that made the time pass more quickly! I’m so grateful that I was able to hook up with them at the start line – we stayed together throughout the race.

There were no official corrals. They asked that runners line up in the front, run/walkers in the middle, and walkers toward the back. It wasn’t an exact science but for the size of the race, it worked out well.

Huddle together for warmth!

Huddle together for warmth!

Dan, (whom you might remember is a musician) sang the Star Spangled Banner and then we were off!

Jackie and Pam Geil, Biggest Loser season 14, sent us on our way with high fives and cheers. I believe that Jay Jacobs was also there, but I missed seeing him because he was running the 5k. Good on ya, Jay!

Pam and Jackie were so motivational!

Pam and Jackie were so motivational!

My husband said that once everyone started the race, there were maybe 25 people hanging around, waiting for us to work our way through the park. Which just goes to show that people were doing this run/walk for themselves, which is always a wonderful thing to see.

The course wound its way through the Great Adventure parking lot and then into the park. A little less than a mile in, we found ourselves at a trail portion, which lead us past a lake and into the surrounding wooded area before wrapping us back around into the park and out to the village once more. The 10k race was a double loop of the 5k.

via the Biggest Loser Run Walk site

via the Biggest Loser Run Walk site

I have to admit that I didn’t really know too much about the course going into the race. I’d look at the map a day or two before, but other than seeing the names of a few of the coasters, I didn’t realize we’d be going off-road at all. Add the leaves and mud puddles (thanks to the rain) to the mix and it was definitely a slippery situation.

We started off running through the parking lot, chatting along the way. I grew up going to Great Adventure, but it’s bigger and even more coaster filled now!

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We entered the park near the carnival games and it was still “dressed up” for Halloween, complete with a fountain that sprayed RED water. Spooky!

The first mile past quickly and soon we were on the trail portion. It was gorgeous scenery and I was pleasantly surprised; this was not what I expected at all.

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At mile two there was a water and Gatorade station, along with a few HUGE muddy puddles. We squished a bit on the mud but I managed to stay upright there. I marveled over that fact… obviously that was a wee bit premature.

We were near the mile 5 marker (for the double loop). I’m not even sure what happened, exactly. All I know is that one minute, I was running and the next, my ankle was twisting and I was on the ground! I’m so glad that I didn’t take anyone else down with me because I came down HARD. It wasn’t a little fall. It was a heavy impact fall. There was no stopping or bracing myself. Timber!

I’m incredibly grateful for the woman who stopped to give me a hand up and for Kim and Shannon who walked with me until I reached the point where I felt comfortable running again. What I really loved about this race was the fellowship I felt with everyone else out there. People were friendly and supportive throughout the race. Like I said, it wasn’t a spectator type of event and everyone was doing this for themselves, but there was a family atmosphere from start to finish.

It would have probably been prettier had my ankle not been throbbing...

It would have probably been prettier had my ankle not been throbbing…

Now, I must admit, I went through a couple of trains of thought while I was evaluating my level of ability to continue the onto the 10k.

1. Got up, immediately knew I had messed up my ankle and possibly bruised my leg. Crap, I’ll just finish with the 5k. Thank goodness it’s a double loop.

2. No. No! I can run. I could TOTALLY do the 10k. “I’m doing the 10k!”

3. Just kidding. This really hurts. I need ice. Plus, I’ve run 3.1 miles today and I’ve got more races coming up. I’m finishing at the 5k.

A pic with my heroes!

A pic with my heroes!

After seeing monkeys in the safari area, we crossed the finish line. Pam welcomed everyone back with high fives and great spirit! That lady has spunk! Directly past the finish line we were handed our medals and there were tables set up with water, bagels and bananas for each person to grab.

I immediately sought out the medical tent to get ice. While doing that, I somehow lost Kim and Shannon but I know that I’ll being seeing them at races again in the future.

At the finish line, Dan was jamming out on his guitar and it was great to be able to relax and enjoy the music for a few moments.

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Once I was all patched up (at least for the moment) I wandered around with Pooks and Dude because we had some time in between the my finish and the start for the Kids Run. At the Solutions tent I was able to meet Christina, who I’d been emailing with in regards to the event, and she was absolutely lovely! It’s always great to put a face to a name.

I also found Jackie and chatted with her for a couple of minutes about the chilly weather, the race series, and about how awesome our sons are. Of course, we needed to get a group shot. Dan was a bit busy but we made it work.

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Pooks was a bit nervous leading up to the event but the day of, he was ready to go! At 9:45 the Kids Race was underway. The kids lined up at the start and took off. No timing chips, this was strictly FUN!

He's off!

He’s off!

Originally we had planned for him to shed the outer layer but with the weather being so chilly, he decided to channel his inner Rocky and kept the gray theme going. My husband went about a tenth of a mile onto the course to cheer for him as he ran out and back.

The kids ran the opposite direction on the course so they were able to see the monkeys too!

And then, just like that, they were on their way back to the finish. Pooks hadn’t done a mile in awhile so he was happy to get out there and stretch his legs, especially after being sick all last week.

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I was really grateful to be able to do this particular event with Pooks. We watch the Biggest Loser together and were so excited for the past month, leading up to the big day. While I wish we had warmer weather, and I certainly would have liked to have not fallen, I’m so glad that we got to experience this together!

Something that this race series does is provide FREE race pictures to participants. Um, how cool is that? They should be up on the website in a few days and I can’t wait to see them.

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Have you ever participated in the Biggest Loser Run Walk Event? Which one? And have you ever fallen or injured yourself during a race? Thankfully, my ankle is feeling a lot better now! Thank you for the well-wishes via social media! xo

The Biggest Loser Run Walk Race Series compensated entry for both my son and myself. No other compensation was given. All opinions and any spectacular falls are my own.

 

15 thoughts on “Biggest Loser Run Walk recap: Six Flags Great Adventure New Jersey

  1. Way to get back up and finish the race! You could have stopped right there. Glad you are feeling better. I haven’t done a biggest loser race. There was one in Buffalo but the timing didn’t work out. Haven’t fallen yet either. Knock on wood.

    • Thanks so much, Bonnie. For a second, I really wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to continue on and there really wasn’t much around at that point. Thankfully I was able to walk, shake it off a little, and then slowly run to the end!

      I’m hoping that I’ll be able to get to another Biggest Loser race at some point – sans falling. ๐Ÿ˜‰ Upright is the way to be!

  2. I wrote a comment and apparently never saved it. Sorry! But yes, I LOVE the idea of included race photos. I’d even been OK with a slightly higher race fee if my race photos were included. I’d be sharing those everywhere – imagine the publicity!

    And I hope you are feeling better, You’re a trooper!

    • No apologies necessary, Vic!

      I most definitely agree, I think that including race photos is such a nice bonus/incentive! The photographers were visible along the course so I’m looking forward to seeing what they snapped. ๐Ÿ™‚

      I’m hanging in there. My knee is mostly bruised and my ankle isn’t the best, but I’ve had worse injuries, for sure!

  3. I also did this race on Sunday. The weather was terrible…but it was an awesome experience! I did the 5K this time but am looking forward to doing the 10K next time. Some of the terrain was pretty slippery and I found myself slowing down at a lot of points hoping not to fall – the fact that you got up and kept going is incredible and very inspiring. ๐Ÿ™‚

    All the best!

    • Hey Gina – thanks so much for swinging by! I was bummed because the 10k is my favorite distance and the route was SO gorgeous, I was actually looking forward to looping through again. But I suppose it wasn’t meant to be and I just have to remind myself that I made the right decision. (Repeatedly.)

      But enough about me, how did YOUR race go on Sunday? Here is hoping for better weather the next time around, huh? Do you have anything else coming up on your race agenda? xo

      • It was a smart decision on your part–there will be other races! The race went really well for me….better than I could’ve imagined. It was my first timed 5k–I’ve done a couple of obstacle races (including a BLRW off-road challenge) but I really wanted to start doing real races. The weather scared me a bit but I finished….and I managed to come in first in my age group…still don’t know how that happened. Guess we surprise ourselves sometimes ๐Ÿ™‚

        As far as another race, my goal is to tackle a 10k sometime next year–go big or go home, right? Do you have any other races lined up?

        I posted my whole training plan leading up to this race on my fitness blog. I share my struggles and experiences in the hopes of helping others see that no matter what challenges you face, you can do anything you put your mind to. Check it out if you get a chance! ๐Ÿ™‚

        • Wow! That is so awesome that you placed first in your age group. WAY TO GO! Especially with it being your first 5k. Super impressive! ๐Ÿ™‚

          I love the 10k distance – there’s a great one in Oct. from Atlantic City race series (they also have a 7k and 11k during their April event) and there’s also the 10k Bridge Run! Next on my race list is the Philly half at the end of this month – my first time running this one!

          I’ll definitely swing by your blog. xo

    • Oh, Kristen. I was nearly NOT that smart. I mean, I realllllly wanted to do the 10k. Thankfully, I grew some brains. ๐Ÿ˜‰

    • Thank you, Meranda! You know, I was a little surprised at the “off road” element at this race – it was more “trail” than I expected (which, was none). I’d love to see a Philly event! I know that they have one up in Eerie, PA but that’s still a bit of a hike.

  4. Oh no!! I’m so sorry you fell! What a nightmare, I’m so afraid of another injury, I’m glad things turned out OK for you! And I have to keep an eye out for you at local races: i was going to run this one but it was the day we left for vacation! ๐Ÿ™‚

    • Thanks so much for swinging by, Jess! The fall was not my finest moment, that’s for sure. But I’ll survive! ๐Ÿ˜‰ And YES, we definitely will need to look for each in the future. I hope that the vacation was AH-MAZING.

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