January 20, 2019
So it is now 20 days into the new year and I’m realizing that I never posted about this race from the last day of 2019! This is the race I have done the most often throughout the years. In fact, this year was my 10th running of this race! It is nicely run, well supported and fun to get one more race in for the year! One of the reasons I was not in a hurry to post about this race is because I lost the pics I took on that day due to getting a new phone (Long story for another day). I like to include pics in my blog posts so I was bummed that I didn’t have any. BUT, procrastinate no longer! It is time to blog anyways because I must document for posterity! Well, and because I’m just weird like that.
December 31, 2019 at 4pm – This race is run by SARC (Summit Athletic Running Club) begins and ends at Stow High School. It was a bit chilly at 28 degrees and just a tad slippery in parts (they warned us about Red Flag conditions), but not snow covered. Mike came with me this time just to spend time together and hold my stuff. I ran into Alise and Chris there and we took our usual selfie pics before and after the race. Just take my word for it. It is fun to see them there and keep the tradition going! They always offer soup in addition to the regular bananas and stuff so that is cool. I never eat it, but it is just a cool tradition.
I felt kinda awful during the entire race. I had not been running outside like at all over the holidays. As a matter of fact, this was my first run (like at all) since the Jingle Bell Run which was on Dec 13! So, consequently my lungs felt that I wasn’t acclimated to the cold and to actually running. It is amazing how quickly the body loses fitness!
I finished and gave myself a lecture about needing to get back on a regular schedule – inside AND a bit outside too.
Here are my stats: Time: 34:53; Pace: 11:15; Overall place: 296/414; Female in age group: 10/14; All female: 138/217. This was one of my slower times, but hey, you get out of it what you put into it, right? I’m excited for 2020 because I have 2 races planned – one is the Cleveland Half in May -pretty standard, but the other is the Chicago FULL marathon in October – holla! I’ve got my training plans are figured out and ready to rock starting in January! Yahoo!