If you've followed this blog, you'll know that I enjoy an occasional physical challenge.  Whether it be a true endurance event or something a little more fun, I like to set my mind to something, train, and do it.  In the "adventure race" vein, on November 12th, I'll be running in my third Matt Gfeller Memorial Doughnut Run.

This event is a fundraiser for the Matt Gfeller Foundation, which was created after Matt lost his life after a helmet to helmet collision during a high school football game.  The foundation is doing great things to raise awareness of, and help prevent sports head injuries, and the doughnut run is a great way to remember him and to raise money for the foundation.

The idea of the race is simple - it's a 5K with a food break in the middle.  If you sign up as a challenger (and why wouldn't you?), halfway through the race you pick up a half dozen Krispy Kremes and a cup of water and polish them off before you head back for the finish.  Casual runners can just eat one doughnut, but where's the fun in that?

I repeat, run to these:

Chow down:

Then finish the race:

Easy, right?  Well....As delightful as a glazed doughnut may be, after running a decent pace, getting 6 down the hatch isn't necessarily so easy.  The first year I did this race, I employed the doughnut sandwich technique.  That is, smashing all 6 into a compact little package:


I do not recommend this technique.  I struggled through and had to quit about 3/4 of the way through this overly sweet treat.  I did, however, finish the race in 40:36, but I did NOT want to indulge in any of the post-race doughnuts:

Last year, I did a little bit of running training and employed a one-at-a-time-but-fast-as-you-can doughnut technique, and while I saw others puke, I felt quite good and shaved 8 minutes off my time to finish in 32:35.  Not super quick, but improvement nonetheless.  This year, I haven't done any training (yet) but am officially signed up to give it another go.  So c'mon and join me in one of the few athletic events in which you consume more calories than you burn (you know you wanna!).  Sign up right -> here <-