I Recently Turned 37...

Weird Selfie Face!

...And I celebrated by power-walking the 2017 Bockfest 5k! This was my 2^nd 5k ever, and I finished it in 51:08, which is about a 3.5 mph pace. I actually had a better end time in my 1^st event, but I did jog pieces of that one, so I’m still proud. I am challenging myself to enter more 5k’s in the future until I can finally run the full 3.1 miles.

Upon completion, each finisher received a medal, which also
acts as a bottle opener. I thought that was a nice touch. 😊

The Bockfest 5k is part of the overarching Bockfest Festival, which celebrated its 25^th year in 2017. Per the website (http://www.bockfest.com/): “Bockfest is a uniquely Cincinnati event, celebrating the brewing of Bock Beer and the coming of spring. Bock Beer is traditionally brewed for special occasions. It is complex, hardy, traditionally has a higher nutritional content than most beer and typically has a higher alcohol content. It has a particular link to spring because German monks drank it as a substitute for food during Lenten fasts.”

“Bockfest™ was created by the Hudepohl-Schoenling Brewing Company to celebrate the brewery’s introduction of Christian Moerlein Bock. The company eventually decided to make the launch of the bock beer into an entire festival.”

“The Bockfest 5K is the first of three races in the Christian Moerlein Beer Series, including the Little Kings Mile on Flying Pig weekend and the Hudepohl 14K and 7K on Oktoberfest Weekend. The Bockfest 5K celebrates the brewing history of Cincinnati and ends with a party worthy of a Beer Baron.”

I believe the actual 5k event started in 2013, and this year it was sold out. Anyway, I figured a little bit of history was in order, as this was my first year experiencing any part of this festival, and I’ve actually lived in the area for almost 11 years now! Unfortunately, I didn’t take part in the other events, but I still had a great time.

Upon registration, each participant received a Bockfest t-shirt plus a numbered and chipped bib, which included tickets for two drinks and a Skyline Cheese Coney for after the race. The chip itself is used to record each participants start and end times. I believe it’s some kind of RFID.

The course itself started and ended in Over-The-Rhine, right next to the Christian Moerlein Brewery/Bockfest Hall. I like that they set it through a mix of flat streets and hills so it feels like you’re getting a really good workout, even if you’re just walking. That incline really gives it some oomph.

Once you finish, you are invited to turn in your Coney and drink tickets and stay a while, but it was so crowded and the lines were super long. My friends and I actually ended up giving our tickets away to some lucky revelers, and walked a couple of blocks to The Eagle OTR. Apparently, they have some excellent friend chicken. I actually chose a Shrimp and Kale salad, however, since I had a birthday dinner later that night at Boi Na Braza. I did get a chance to enjoy some Sweet Baby Jesus!, though.