Holiday Run Recap

Race: Holiday Run
Distance:  4 miles
Date:  December 11, 2011, 9am start
Finish time:  49:13, 12:19 min/mile
What sets this race apart: The weather???


This is another M3S sports race, which generally means you can expect a nice, well run race. It took place in Sharon Woods Metro park, which is notorious for a few large hills - for Columbus anyway.  


This race always takes place the 2nd weekend in December....in Ohio...and thus, is somewhat well known for having bad weather.  This year - it was beautiful and sunny!   Oh.  And 18 degrees Fahrenheit.  Nonetheless, I dressed as I typically do for winter runs:  running tights, a long sleeve tech shirt, a running jacket, and gloves.  I also wore a Texas Santa Hat, but the hat came off within the first 2 miles.  I actually also took the jacket off in the last half of the race...which required a brief walk to get it off over my Garmin.  Apparently, I need to practice running and stripping.  Er. 

Crossing the start line - pre-stripping

I have been struggling with sore quads from training so hard to get back in shape post-baby, so I wasn't sure how today would go after running 3 miles with NOBO yesterday.  A dailymile buddy who is much faster than me saw me and told me he intended to run with me.  I pointed out that he was much faster than me - and he said that as long as I didn't intend to walk (it was too cold for that), he didn't care.  I'm a touch competitive and don't like holding people up... As a result, I pushed HARD and ran the second consecutive hill a bit faster than I should have.  I was breathing like I was dying at the top, but I ran the whole thing darn it!  LOL!  Of course, trying to get my breath back in the cold, with my asthma, forced me to drop the pace a bit for the next mile.  This left me rather frustrated with my final time for the event.


My friend Rob kept me sane though...and running.  There was some guy back of us that yelled HA every 2 seconds the ENTIRE race.  At first, we thought - what is that - a goose?  Then, no - maybe that's a dog.  Somewhere around mile 2 - we realized - THAT'S A PERSON!  Rob then started fantasizing about wrapping his scarf around the guys face.  LOL!  That helped keep me from getting too annoyed until the last half mile when the guy started catching us.  I told Rob - that GUY is not passing us and picked up the speed.  HAHAHA. I know, I know, I'm terrible.


The swag for this race was decent if you picked up at Fleet Feet.  A long sleeve tech shirt and a holiday ornament (you got to pick out the ornament.)  I do not think you got an ornament if you picked it up at the race.

I actually puffy pink heart this shirt - and wore the shirt for the race the day of the race for the first time ever!

What was really fun - was seeing more of my running buddies from MiT - a couple of faces I hadn't seen in months!

Me and Laurie rocking the hats!

The MiT gang post-race!

I also got to meet up with all the daily mile Columbus (Run DMC) folks -

Run DMC - post race

Of course - these groups of people are why I even did this race to begin with.  I keep saying - no more races until X or - no more races of less than 13 miles.  And people keep talking me into "just one more."


My friend Lynne from NOBO also ran the race.  This was her longest run EVER!  WOOT!

Lynne and I - post race

The coolest thing though?  Another MiTer, Richard gave me a belt that I can attach race bib numbers to!  I will never have to put safety pins through my clothes ever again!  All because he had this spiffy thing - and I asked where he got it.  (Turns out he got it through his tri-training group)....then he took it off, took his bib off of it, and handed to me.  What a nice guy!  It's pictured here with my bib and medal.  ;)

What's the coldest weather you've ever run a race in?


What's the toughest weather you've ever run a race in?