This used to be a very popular race.  It was flat and fast with awesome swag.

Two years, they changed the location.  It is no longer flat and gone are the tech shirts, beer glasses, etc. As a result, not as many runners do the race.

I ran it that year and didn’t like the course as much but still enjoyed running it.

I had just run a half marathon this past Sunday and only ran once this past week.  So as I have said about all my races, I run for fun.  I race because I enjoy it.  I don’t really train so I don’t expect a good time.  Of course, I am over the moon if I unexpectedly PR.

I did run a 4 mile race in February and I finished at 37:21 – a PR!!  I was pretty sure that with the wind and my weary legs that a PR would not happen in this race.

Plus, this is the weather I woke up to:

Yes, you got that right. -9 with the wind chill.  Most runners would stay home and wait until later to run or run on the treadmill.

I did consider DNSing the race but in the end, I fished out my winter clothes (clothes that I didn’t even have to wear this winter or even last winter) and headed out.

The race began at 10 am but I left early in order to make sure I got a parking space in the school lot.

We received a cotton tee shirt which I will send to my running buddy. Then I debated about how many layers I would wear. I ditched one shirt and a fleece vest and decided to only wear one layer and a down jacket (I have never run in it before.) I even wore my heavier tights for the first time in years.

I bumped into the usual folks that I see at all the HMRRC races.  I also saw the lady that I will be rooming with in NYC for the Shape Half Marathon. We chatted until it was time to go outside.

In fact we waited until the very last second.  It was FREEZING!!!!!!! The wind was blowing and I was wondering why I was running in this weather. As was everyone else.

I normally start near the front but I wasn’t paying attention and we were standing somewhere in the middle when all of a sudden, the race started.. .Oh well!

At least I was prepared that there would be hills and mostly at the end of the race when you were tired.

So we left the school parking lot, turned left onto a main road and we ran INTO the wind. Similar to Florida except it wasn’t 70 degrees, it was 7 degrees.

My face was freezing.  I couldn’t feel my lips.  My hands were numb as well as were my feet.  Plus it was so hard to breathe. So I just trudged along.

Eventually we turned in a residential neighborhood and the wind wasn’t so bad.  In fact, I almost felt a little warm in my down jacket.

That didn’t last because the hills came and we, of course, were again running to the wind.

I managed to run without walking until mile 3 and then the wind and hills were getting to me.

Finally we were back on the main road that lead to the high school and I got a second wind as the wind was finally as our backs.

I crossed at 37:48.  Not a PR or even a course PR but I was surprised that it was under 38 minutes.

I quickly ran inside to thaw out.

The refreshments, as usual, were decent – soup, pizza, fruit, cookies, hot chocolate.  I ate everything while waiting for the awards.

I hung out with the same ladies as before the race. The awards were for 10 year age groups. I didn’t win anything.  I think I was 6th. (It was only a medal anyway!)

Considering that I have done no speed work and just ran a half marathon, I was pleased with my time.

Splits:

mile 1 – 9:17
mile 2 – 9:01
mile 3 – 9:53
mile 4 – 9:09
.04 – 6:43

Garmin time – 37:36 (I used my old 205 since the battery does last for 4 miles.)

I had planned to run 3 more miles as I am supposedly training for my next half marathon on April 30 but it was just TOO COLD.

Maybe I’ll have better luck next weekend and be able to run 8 miles in warmer, less windy temps.