Race report: Reindeer Run 5K
I ran my third 5K on December 4 in Lakewood, OH. I'm a bit late in posting, so here we go!
The morning of the race, I left my apartment at about eight AM to find that my car heater wasn't working. In the twenty-degree weather, I wasn't exactly happy about this, especially with a half an hour drive. Likewise, parking at the race sucked, so I wound up walking a bit before making it to the start. I managed to get into the heated registration area to get some feeling back in my hands and legs.
Pluses: The start wasn't too crowded, and things seemed well-organized. The course was nice: it started at a park and made a loop on plowed city roads. The water stop was at a good point, and the post-race food was decent. The t-shirts were cute. The finish-line crowd was supportive (unlike the T-giving day race, where they were silent. Strange, right?).
Minuses: Apparently, in past years, the organizers gave out reindeer antlers (!), but this year, they decided to hand out jingle bells for our shoes. Unfortunately, they ran out by the time I arrived. Also, the temperature was BRUTAL.
Overall, this race was a big thumbs-up. Hermes Road Racing sponsored the race, and I'm definitely going to consider their other races, since this one was so well-organized. :)
This race was definitely not the casual race that I participated in on Thanksgiving. I finished 2nd to last in my age group (the person ahead of me shaved by ten seconds ahead of me). Since this race took place about a few and a half after my last race (my first in five months), I wasn't expecting any jump in PR, but I dropped about twelve seconds to 35:13, so I was happy.
Next up for me: Run with Your Heart 8K on Valentine's Day in Willoughby Hills, OH. It will be my first trail race, but I've run parts of the course before, so I'm not as intimidated by it, though I know it will be different from my usual road races.
x-posted to runners.
The morning of the race, I left my apartment at about eight AM to find that my car heater wasn't working. In the twenty-degree weather, I wasn't exactly happy about this, especially with a half an hour drive. Likewise, parking at the race sucked, so I wound up walking a bit before making it to the start. I managed to get into the heated registration area to get some feeling back in my hands and legs.
Pluses: The start wasn't too crowded, and things seemed well-organized. The course was nice: it started at a park and made a loop on plowed city roads. The water stop was at a good point, and the post-race food was decent. The t-shirts were cute. The finish-line crowd was supportive (unlike the T-giving day race, where they were silent. Strange, right?).
Minuses: Apparently, in past years, the organizers gave out reindeer antlers (!), but this year, they decided to hand out jingle bells for our shoes. Unfortunately, they ran out by the time I arrived. Also, the temperature was BRUTAL.
Overall, this race was a big thumbs-up. Hermes Road Racing sponsored the race, and I'm definitely going to consider their other races, since this one was so well-organized. :)
This race was definitely not the casual race that I participated in on Thanksgiving. I finished 2nd to last in my age group (the person ahead of me shaved by ten seconds ahead of me). Since this race took place about a few and a half after my last race (my first in five months), I wasn't expecting any jump in PR, but I dropped about twelve seconds to 35:13, so I was happy.
Next up for me: Run with Your Heart 8K on Valentine's Day in Willoughby Hills, OH. It will be my first trail race, but I've run parts of the course before, so I'm not as intimidated by it, though I know it will be different from my usual road races.
x-posted to runners.