No snowy selfies this year, and that’s a good thing! OTOH, while I was with a group, I raced alone . . . so no friendly chatting during the race. Ah, but was it a good race?

Packet Pickup
This year Darlene @ Myfirst5k offered to pick up bibs. In the end, she picked up 10 — which required going to multiple lines, since it’s done alphabetically. She was definitely a trooper!

No extra swag at all this year, but at least the race shirt was a long sleeve tech tee, unlike last year’s cotton blend — it ran large this year, though — good thing I just use mine to sleep in anyway.

Plan — what plan?
My plan was simple again this year: have fun. Run by feel. End of story. I hadn’t felt great most of the week and hadn’t run since Monday. With no snow this year, I was definitely planning on running! Or run/walking.

So how’d that work for me?

1. Mile 1: 12:03. It’s dark. The roads are uneven with a little bit of cobblestone. And it’s crowded. This mile felt super slow, and yet it was about my easy run pace.
2. Mile 2:  10:59. Mile 2 goes through the holiday lights in the park, with some uphills. I’d basically had to run that first mile with no walk breaks due to the crowded conditions, and somehow mentally I decided to just keep running. I definitely felt tired a few times, but 2 miles down with no walking.
3. Miles 3: 10:12. It’s downhill to the finish. Still running. Love the downhills and have absolutely no idea what pace I was running. I was definitely tired but it also didn’t feel super hard.
4. Last .17: 9:02. I forgot about the photographer at the finish . . . I swear, truest finish line photo ever and sorry 984, what were you thinking running in too big sweatpants? It looks like I’m walking but I definitely wasn’t.

I thought maybe it was a course PR, but darn, apparently I really tried to race it in 2014. Would you believe that this is probably the first 5k I’ve ever run with no walk breaks, ever?

Even though most of my slow years were running with other friends, sometimes it’s also nice to be able to run your own pace.

I had zero idea of my pace at any point during the race. Now of course I’m thinking, darn, if that start wasn’t so crowded, but OTOH I may have fizzled at the end if I’d started out faster. Or not. We’ll never know. Definitely not my fastest 5k, but overall, a lot of fun and the pace was a really big surprise — I was not at all trying to be “fast”.

2018: 35:39

2017: 54:17 (snowing again!)

2016: 39:35

2015: 37:09

2014 – 34:27

2013: 38:10 (snowing!)

The weather & dressing
Exactly the same as 2017 as it turns out: North Face Thermoball, Skirtsports Wonder Wool Tee and Skirtsports Heartbreaker Skirt (I’m a Skirtsports Ambassador), and Mudgear Compression socks with Hannukah socks over them.

I did try Kim @ Runningonthefly’s suggestion to put a headband over my hat to keep my ears warm — I didn’t get it on right (too busy chatting apparently) and no one pointed out how dorky I looked. Good thing it wasn’t that cold.

Was the race well run?
Yes — the swag is now nonexistent, but thing are looking up with a tech tee and there was actually some food still around when I finished — although I couldn’t locate the water outside, there was plenty inside. Of course last year we finished almost 20 minutes later . . .

I got a ride with a friend this year — and good thing, too, as my husband had just replaced the dead battery in the car and I didn’t want to test it out  — we parked in my usual place — the Egg’s Visitor Center’s lot — it costs just $5 and that’s where the packet pickup is; you don’t even have to go outside until the race starts. We got there around 4ish (the race starts at 5); there was already a line of cars, but still plenty of parking spaces.

Last year I hosted a potluck afterwards, this year the other Judy hosted. Our group has grown . . . there was lots of yummy food and some attempted knitting.

I’m linking up with with MCM Mama Runs, Marcia’s Healthy Slice, and My No Guilt Life for the Tuesdays on the Run linkup.

This week I am also joining up with Running on Happy, Suzlyfe, Crazy Running Girl, and Coach Debbie Runs each week for the Coaches’ Corner linkup