Hot Diggity Dog 5k: 23'34"; 7'36" avg. pace; 46th place
Jingle Bell 5k: 26'36"; 8'34" avg. pace; 76th place
PTR is back on the 5k circuit this holiday season. We kicked it off with our first ever organized race on Thanksgiving morning. Emily, Ashley, and I joined a crowd of 500 people in St. Albans (really? St. Albans?) for the Hot Diggity Dog Thanksgiving 5k. We chose this race based on its wiener dog theme and medal and its location between Teays Valley and Charleston. But mainly, the finishers medal. Temperatures warmed into the 50s as race time approached and the sun was out in full force. We waved goodbye to dogs in strollers and on leashes and ran up an appetite. The course was mostly flat, and fairly bland, with one short and steep uphill section. I was aiming for an even 23 minute 5k, but came up a half minute too slow. In fact, as the finish line came into view I could see the clock tick toward 23 minutes but knew that my fastest sprint couldn't get me there in time. It was still a good effort. The whole PTR crew finished and cooled down next to the high school.
A week and a half later, Ashley and I decided to run our second Jingle Bell 5k together. Last year, I made a huge error by eating curry the night before this race and then it rained all morning. We were hoping for smart preparation and better weather this time around. We dined on pasta the night before, and the weather was dry, if cold, on this early December morning. The race started a three minute walk from my house. Thus, we waited until the last minute to brave the cold weather and join the crowd. Costumed runners toed the finish line in reindeer and other Christmas assorted gear. We were less festively attired. The attitude for this run was much more relaxed than on Thanksgiving. I made no effort to distance myself from the pack after the gun sounded. The route followed my usual stomping ground through UC and around Memorial Hospital. That made it easy to tune out and plod along for three miles. I still picked up the pace at the finish out of instinct, but it was hardly a sprint. I was welcomed to the finish line by the frantic shouting of the Tri-State racer PA guy. Apparently they had not accounted for people that registered that morning and he was freaking out in an attempt to get them to report to him. Take it easy, chief. Unfortunately, we were not captured in any pictures for the Jingle Bell run. Oh well.
Running is entering its dark months once again. It's always a somber time of year when the temperatures hit rock bottom and the sun sinks behind the hills at 5:00 pm sharp. I will post updates of any significant training progress. Ashley and I will continue "sweating for the wedding" in some form or fashion. Until then, happy running!