July Madness: FBFW vs. Bix 7

This post is the story of two races that occur during the month of July that have thrilled, frustrated and infuriated me over the past five years. These are two races that now seem unable to coexist – forcing me to choose between them. I’m talking about the Fueled By Fine Wine Half Marathon in Dundee, Oregon and the Bix 7 in Davenport, Iowa. I’m talking about July Madness.

It all started in 2018 when I was fully immersed in the delightful rediscovery of competitive racing. I’d heard about the Fueled by Fine Wine Half Marathon during recent vacations when my wife and I would stay in the Dundee area for wine tasting. Having ran two half marathons already that year, I was game to give this a “go.”

The race’s website promoted the event saying, “You won’t have a great time, but you’ll have a great time.” They hit the nail right on the head. It was an amazing experience! The hills were every bit as wicked as advertised. But those steep climbs led you up paved roads, shaded by thick groves of hardwoods or through beautiful vineyards, past rows of carefully manicured grapes. Fortitude for facing those hills was promptly rewarded with downhill grades that eased the aching muscles. Although times were considerably slower because of the hills, the cooler temps and lack of humidity made up for it. Even better, once I’d finished (and had some water and food!), I was given a sharp-looking wine glass for the sole express purpose of savoring free tastings from some three dozen local wineries. The experience the following year was just as wonderful - making FBFW my "total and complete, no doubt about it" favorite race.

About three weeks after my first FBFW, I was introduced to the Bix 7, courtesy of my wife who has done the race over the years. Being cautious, I made the mistake of signing up for a slower bracket with the idea that I could pass other runners after that first uphill mile. While that sounded good in theory, it turned out to be a very bad idea as I found myself completely boxed in a crowded field of slower runners once the race veered onto narrow streets. Trying to pass on curbs and lawns, jumping from what seemed to be one opening to another, I grew more and more frustrated with every step. It often seemed I was the only one in that cluster of runners who was intent on actually racing. I’d have to nearly stop when someone in front of me slowed to chat with someone or pose for a picture. By the fifth mile, I was finally able to move past that mob to resume what I considered a “race pace.” Needless to say, my mood leaned a tad to the sour side. Although my wife enjoyed chatting with family who were also there, I made it absolutely, clear that there was no way I would ever return to this race. Never ever!

Of course, I returned to that race the following year. Realizing that my wife had been a very good sport about my cutting into our Oregon vacation with the FBFW half marathon, I realized that it was only fair that I be equally supportive. But I do learn from my mistakes. This time I signed up for a more appropriate bracket. Doing that completely changed the Bix 7 for me. This time, I faced tough competition amid the hills, heat and humidity. The three “H’s” did their part to make this a difficult race. But, placing in my age group, I could not wait to tackle this course in 2020.

2020?

Yeah. 2020. Year of every potential mishap and disaster. Including a global pandemic that wiped out both races – as well as every in-person race on my calendar. Although a poor substitute, Amy and I did both Bix 7 and Fueled by Fine Wine as virtual races that year.

Because of the lingering pandemic and our vacation schedule, Bix 7 turned out to be another virtual adventure in 2021 – although I did my part in making certain to run it as a horribly hot and humid day at Gray’s Lake.

But I did get to compete in the Fueled by Fine Wine event in 2021. After which, I had no desire to run it again. What happened? Let’s get into that. FBFW’s race director left after 2019 with a Portland shoe store taking over the event. They were stuck with the mess of a pandemic in 2020 and the uncertainty of whether races could or couldn’t be in-person the following year. Worse, FBFW was scheduled only three weeks after another race they sponsored in Portland. That made this race a rushed event. Unfortunately, that showed in every aspect. Their new course exchanged too many paved and shaded roads for unshaded gravel roads and too few wineries. In full disclosure, I should note that I was also recovering from calf and IT band issues which had me running the Quarter Marathon instead of the half. That same IT band flared up on a steep downhill, causing me to walk portions of the final two miles. That was disappointing. But so were the lackluster treats waiting for me at the finish line, starting and ending with bananas and bagels. Not helping was that I was less impressed with the wineries participating in the free tastings. While the previous race director did not offer age group medals or awards, I was underwhelmed by the chunk of wood decorated by a sharpie (see picture on the left). While I appreciate all the work that the new race directors did in making Fueled by Fine Wine occur, sadly, it was no longer the same for me. When they announced that the race would be scheduled on the Sunday preceding the Bix & for 2022, it was that much easier to move on.

I thought that was it. But when I was out in Oregon (see my “No Humidity” Tour post) last month, I saw the new medal for this event at an area winery. It was a definite step up over their previous one and seeing that area did spark more than a few memories. Enough to have me wondering if I need to give the new kids on the block another chance now that they’ve some experience with the event. But if I do this race, there’s no way I can have a competitive performance at the Bix 7 days later.

You see my dilemma and why I call it July Madness.

What do you think? Any recommendations? Feel free to include your comments below. (And if any of you are race directors for Fueled by Fine Wine, let’s meet somewhere and discuss this over a nice bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir.)