This is a very popular local race. In fact, it always sells out (at 1700). The race starts with fireworks and then you run uphill, around the lights in the park and it ends with a downhill.

Here are some pics from a previous year:

Last year, I ran this race in the rain.  The year before in a blizzard.  I was hoping for better weather this year.

I picked up my bib & shirt on Thursday to save time.

Then I pondered what to wear… I like to look festive. But it was COLD.  The coldest it’s been in a while and very windy – 30’s but 20s with the wind chill.

I decided to park at work and walk the mile or so to the race. I wore an extra coat (that would ditch before the race) and I was still cold.

As I mentioned, it is a popular race and I bumped into all sorts of people that I knew– runners from my turkey trot training group, runners from work, runners from tennis and FB friends.

MP, her SIL, Judy & me (the crazy lady who dresses up for these races)

We chatted until it was time to head out.

It was so windy and cold that MP & I  hung out with our backs against a wall to block the wind.

I even bumped into a former student of mine

Then all of a sudden the firework began.  We were accidentally very close. And they were great!! To Star Wars music, no less.

We even got our photo taken by the newspaper photographer.

courtesy of the TU

Soon it was time to head to the start.  I lost MP but found my (super fast) turkey trot group friends. I would have preferred to be closer to the start  but hung out with them instead.

Unfortunately I made 2 wardrobe fails for this race. I chose to wear old shoes (because they were green, why else?) and they had my orthotics in them.  I stopped wearing those orthotics after I broke my ankle because they were now SO uncomfortable. Yes, they killed the arch of my foot (the whole race).

Second, it was windy and cold but the wind died down and I was soooo HOT.  I had a half zip, a shirt (cotton – my bad) and a vest – too many layers and my half zip felt so tight!! Yes, I was uncomfortable…

Back to the course:

courtesy of the Times Unon

The race started with an uphill, went through the city before we entered the park. It was very very crowded at first especially since I didn’t start right in front.

My legs felt really sluggish. I think it was all that standing around and starting at 5 pm (I have much more energy to run in the morning.)

I took these pics the other day when I ran through the park

I felt better once we entered the park and it was fun looking at all the lights.  There were at least two hills that I remember in the park and I was proud of myself for not walking at all.  I ran up them..slow but at least I ran.

The whole time I was running, I kept looking at the ground trying to avoid cracks and uneven pavement and keeping an eye out for potholes (I did fall during this race several years ago.)

Finally we left the park and ran downhill to the finish. I wanted to finish fast but was still  hesitant to run at top speed …in the dark.  I heard a friend yell: “Darlene, finish strong!!” That made me pick up the pace.

It was dark so I couldn’t see my Garmin but I knew by the timing clocks that this wouldn’t be a PR nor would it be as fast as last year.

I barely finished under 30 minutes.  According to my Garmin, it was 29:46 but officially I finished at 29:54.

I went inside to  check the results and wait for MP and her SIL, Shannon.

Shannon is so fast & finished 22:xx and MP is a social runner – she took videos while she ran and even got a picture with Santa.

Last year, I was 3rd in my AG.  This year, 6th. (Even I had a great race, I wouldn’t have placed. Darn those fast old women!)

Splits:

mile 1- 9:51
mile 2 – 9:50
mile 3 – 9:17
.15 – 7:42

Very usual for me to have negative splits.

So not an amazing finish time but such a fun race.  Sometimes, you just have to “finish fun” if you can’t “finish fast.”

After the race, we continued our fun by going out for a bite to eat and for some drinks.

So my year of racing has come to an end. 38 races!!

Looking forward to 2016.

__________________

Happy Running?  How was your weekend? Did you run in a holiday race?

This is the 2nd annual for this race. I didn’t run it last  year but it’s in my town so I figured why not. And it’s a flat course.

Of course, I just ran a half marathon so it may not have been smart.

The course was a loop around the neighborhood where I used to run.  Now that we have the rail trail, I haven’t run here this year at all.

It was nice to run in a small race for a change. Last year they only had 38 runners.  This year there was over 100.

I got home late after playing mah jongg last night and decided to sleep in.  That meant getting to the race only 15 minutes early rather than an hour.

With such a small race, it didn’t seem to matter.  I got my bib & shirt and used the REAL restrooms. The negative was that they had run out of tech shirts and I got a cotton one.

I immediately ran into my friend Barbara.  She was running with her 13 year-old niece. We lined up together but she told me that she was going to run with her niece who may run at a slower pace.

Unlike my race in Florida, the weather was perfect.  Sunny, no wind, no humidity and cool (in the high 30’s but felt warmer.)

Goals?

Though I had just run 13.1 miles last Sunday, I kinda wanted a good race to redeem myself.  So my goal wasn’t to PR but to finish under 27:56.  That would make this 5k my fastest of the year.

Unfortunately, my body didn’t agree with my goal.

I give it my best shot on this flat course but I just didn’t have the speed. (Gone forever? Who knows?)

There were no mile markers but my Garmin did beep at the end of each mile.  I glanced down every now and then to check my pace but mostly I tried to run by feel. (However, I didn’t “feel” that I had slowed down for mile 2.)

Mile 1 – 9:01
Mile 2 – 9:15
Mile 3 – 9:03
.14 – 8:48

Finish time – 28:16 (Garmin time – 28:12)

So this 5k wasn’t a PR (under 27:11) nor was it my fastest of the year  (my 4th fastest.)

Remember how Barbara was running “slowly” with her niece?  They finished right behind me.  I had no idea they were that close.

We went inside to get food. There were only granola bars and apples.  We also checked the results.  Barbara finished 3rd in her AG and I finished 2nd. Unfortunately they only gave out medals for first.

I hung around a little longer and chatted with some of the other runners that I knew.

I am trying to keep up my base weekend mileage so I wanted to run some more. I drove to the rail trail that I have been running on often.  Instead of running on the newly paved part (I was afraid that I would be tempted to run too long), I ran in the opposite direction on the unpaved portion.

It was such a beautiful day.  Hard to believe that I was running without a jacket on December 12!!

When I got to the park (about 2 miles in), I didn’t want to quit.  I was running slowly and walking at times so it was easy to keep going.

I always wondered how the trail continued on to Voorheesville so I decided to find out.

I finally found the rest of the trail.  It goes about 4 miles.  I only ran about 1 mile but I definitely want to go back at another time.

By the time I got back to my car, I had completed 6.2 miles post race.  That meant 9.3 for the day.  Why stop? 10 miles sounds more impressive so I ran another .7 miles.

I also discovered that the paved part of the trail is almost is completed – no more trucks in the way!! Good news!!

And yes, I deserved this eggnog ice cream cone!!!

So I did enjoy this nice small local race.  I’m not sure that I would run it again.  Today there is a free HMRRC-sponsored race of 3 miles or 9.3 miles.  I would have chosen that race but I am going to NYC (yes, again) with my friends.

I am brooding less about my disappointing half.  This race helped take my mind off of it.

One more race for 2015. That’s next Saturday night. A fun 5k- running through the lights in the park.

Happy Running! How was your weekend? Are you having unusually warm winter weather too? Did you run or race?