Sunday, December 12, 2010

Jingle All the Way 10K Round-Up

The second of my December races is in the bag, and I have one more running-related event to go.

I spent most of last week checking the weather for the slightest chance that the rain would miss DC -- or, at the very least, not rain in the morning. DC did get its rain, but it never was more than a light drizzle during the race.

I decided to take a cab to the starting line, which worked out well once I flagged one down. (I really don't understand DC cab drivers. I want to give you money, and you just have to drive me to my destination. Don't you want money?) I arrived at the starting line with ten minutes to spare and had some time to stretch and figure out a race strategy.

Spoiler: Don't stop running.

There were more than 4,000 race participants today, so it took some time to cross the start check-point after the official call. I imagined how beautiful the run would have been on a clear day. But, even with the rain, there's something amazing about running on a cold and rainy Sunday morning with that many other crazy people.

The first half of the race felt a lot slower than I planned, and I felt like kicking myself when I reached the 5K checkpoint with 37 minutes on the race clock. Today's race was never about winning; honestly, five-minute miles only happen in my dreams. But, I still felt like I didn't perform as well as I could of in the first half.

During the second half of the race, I made a decision to quit BS-ing and give it my all until I crossed the finish line.

My race by the numbers:

Net time: 63:49
Gun time: 68:47
Average pace: 10:17
Age group: 255/383
Women: 1476/2537

Not bad. Not bad at all...

Before the month is over, there's one more event on my calendar.

It isn't a race, but it's certainly one of the most awesome ways to go a-wassailing that I've ever seen:


DC Capital Striders Annual Holiday Light Run


Carols + running + happy hour = a damn good way to spend a Tuesday night.

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