Average people wait for New Year’s Day to make resolutions about getting fit – the number one resolution BTW. And then there is the
This year will be my 5th time running the resolution run and it’s one of my favorite races. You get to burn a few calories, enjoy a good race with friends (Murray, Jackie and Junko) and be home with plenty of time to crack the champagne.
Welcome to my first race recap of the resolution run and of any event that I’ve done and I’ve done a few. My lack of writing is part laziness and well laziness. By the time I think – I should probably type some words about my latest race, I’ve pretty much forgotten any of the notable details and nobody wants to read a race recap that looks like this:
- Started Race
- Getting tired
- Getting really really tired
- Finished Race
With any race, your best strategy is to register early. Not only will you save some cash (early bird discount) but a pending race could help motivate you to reach your goals as race day is ever looming. Some races will also include a t-shirt or bling AKA as a finishers medal. You can decide if this motivates you further or not.
Compared to last year the weather was pretty much tropical. Last year the temp was -30 and this year we were at a balmy -7. Despite the warmer temps it is still important to dress appropriately for the weather. A good rule to follow is to dress for 10 degrees warmer than the forecast – so if it’s -7 dress if it were +3. I wrote a more detailed blog post on winter running – you can check it out here.
Get to the race at least 15 minutes early to get familiar with the area and to seed yourself appropriately at the start line. For you newbies, this means if you don’t plan on winning the race you should find a spot in the middle to the back. You could also ask the runner next to you something like “Yo, What’s your goal time?” This will help you seed successfully. Runners are generally a friendly bunch, so don’t be shy. You can always name drop the MoneyRunner as well to help break the ice. You have my permission.
Official start time for the resolution run is 6 PM and at every other race that means 6 PM sharp, but not the resolution run, it’s more like a Mexican 6 PM. The 5K race started a bit late at around 6:15 PM after the 1K kids and the 10K. Not a big deal at a fun run but could cause some major stress at any other event. That’s the thing about fun runs, they don’t start on time, there is no chip timing and they are usually not measured accurately so that 5K you signed up for is actually 4.89K. Outrage!
So back to seeding yourself at the starting line. Interesting enough – I was the asshole this time around. Somehow through pure organizational chaos (I started with the 10K group – oops), I ended up at the very front of the 5K group. One bonus to this is you don’t spend your first 5-10 minutes dodging and swerving through other runners. They have to dodge you. Win. But please don’t do what I do. Seeding is important.
As the gun goes off I decide to pick my initial rabbit to follow, which happens to be a lady wearing a bright yellow jacket and she has brought her dog to race as well. She is cruising at a decent pace of around 5min/km. Her dog seems to be doing a lot of the work pulling her along. After the first
Did I mention that I haven’t been running for the last month? Well, I haven’t and at the third
The last KM is always difficult but this is a great time to try a few mind games. You can remind yourself that there
Around 400M to the finish line, my buddy Murray strolls up beside me and says “nice night for a run”, I’m pretty sure he was punking me the entire race as he blew by me with ease. I crossed the finish line at 26:13 which is 4 minutes and 8 seconds off my PR but still a respectable time for an out of shape fun run that’s not exactly 5K on New Year’s Eve.
Pro Tip: If you are going to set a New Year’s resolutions to get fit and most people do. A good strategy is to pick an upcoming race and use it as motivation to stick to your goal. Also, check out the many free run clubs that your city may offer.
Alternatively, find a sympathetic