Thanksgiving morning was cool and wet this year. Emily, Ashley, and I gathered at St. Albans high school to run the Hot Diggity Dog 5k for the second year in a row. The race started in a bunch and it was difficult to set a steady pace in the sea of almost 400 runners and walkers. I accelerated to find a path through the traffic and as a result ran my fastest split in the first mile (7:38). After the first mile, I realized I was far away from peak running shape and slowed down. The rain picked up slightly in the second mile, and I sucked serious wind. I still managed an eight-minute-mile in the second split. Then, the course ran up the only hill of the race, slowing me and the other runners down considerably. The hill was about a 20 foot incline that only lasted for one-tenth of a mile - short and steep. It was hard to return to my previous pace, even after coming back down the same hill. Hence, the third mile was my slowest split time. The rain abated in the last part of the race leaving the streets wet and difficult to grip cleanly. But no excuses. I was pleased with the net time, given my lack of run training this fall. I finished next to two other guys, one of whom had the energy for a sprint and took off past me 20 meters from the finish line. I had no such burst and jogged across the finish. I caught my breath and watched Ashley then Emily finish. The consensus? It was a good run for all, but far from our best. And the course is nothing special to look at. Still, it is a good motivator to get out and run on Thanksgiving morning. I imagine we will be back for the 2017 edition.
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