Got up my usual time and had my usual pre-5K nutrition - 2 cups of the black stuff and a piece of fruit, in this case an apple. I like to keep the stomach pretty empty for the short churn and burns.
Started sipping on my Lemons and Limes Skratch - would have LOVED to take their new hot Apple and Cinnamon out for a spin in light of the single-digit weather, but NOTHING new on race day. Ever. Sad.
It was about 11 degrees at the start. Luckily the forecasted wind wasn't there. I tried to warm up beforehand but it was tough in those temps - literally hard to stay warm enough to stay loose.
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| Trying to warm up. BRRR. |
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| Ready to go. At least I'm trying to convince myself I am. |
They started us in the middle of the road, which hadn't been salted, so I spent the first 100 meters slipping around tryig to go straight up. I crossed the street several times (having to hop a snowbank each time) trying to find a good sidewalk - definitely lost a lot of time and energy the first .15 miles or so.
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| Trying to get up to speed after the brutal start. |
Finally got into a groove for a half mile, then we had another climb that's usually nothing, but it was completely iced over. After the first mile the sidewalk cleared and flattened back out, but I think I used up a LOT of energy that first mile. I kept looking at the pace on my Garmin and thinking "NOT GOOD ENOUGH!"
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| Right before the last climb. In the background is the IMLP start. Fancy a swim? |
Had ANOTHER short climb that ALWAYS hurts because it's at mile 2.5, and THAT was snowed out too and required jumping a snowbank to cross the road. At least the course ENDS with a nice steep downhill.
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| How I felt about my finish. |
Slowest 5K in a while, but it was the conditions, not my fitness.
Finished with a Whole30-compliant Thanksgiving Feast:
Time: 24:29
13 out of 117 women (no age groups).
34 out of 198 overall.
