Resolution Run – Race Recap

Average people wait for New Year’s Day to make resolutions about getting fit – the number one resolution BTW. And then there is the MoneyRunner (and the 1,000’s of other crazy runners) who don’t wait for New Year’s Day – we’re getting fit on New Year’s Eve. Enter the Resolution Run, the perfect way to celebrate the past year and at the same time start a new one.

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:

1. Started Race
2. Getting tired
3. Getting really really tired
4. 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 KM I pass her and move on to find another. Around the 2KM I blow a giant snot rocket but it misses the mark and lands half on my glove and the other half on my jacket. I’m just passing the 14th st bridge so I use it to deposit the bounty. Nasty, but an inevitable part of the journey.

Did I mention that I haven’t been running for the last month? Well, I haven’t and at the third KM my lungs start burning, partially because it’s cold outside and mostly because I’m out of shape. At the 4th KM I can taste the iron in my spit. This is not inherently a bad thing. According to the internet: The metal taste in your mouth while exercising most often occurs in people who are in poor shape (True). It’s especially common if they haven’t done much exercise before and start with a hard aerobic session or running. Bingo – internet diagnoses confirmed. I clearly need to step things up or I’m going to have to change the blog name to “TheMoney” but based on my portfolio performance in 2018, I might just have to change the name of the blog to “The”.

The last KM is always difficult but this is a great time to try a few mind games. You can remind yourself that there is only 5 minutes of pain left and it’s no big deal. Then at 4 minutes left you can remind yourself again. You can count down the 100M intervals or you can find another runner to pace you. Alternatively, you can just sit down on the side of the road, roll up into a ball and wish it was all over.

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 non asshole friend that will keep you accountable – think of this as your AA. The amount of time you need to commit to getting fit is small but the willpower to maintain fitness as a lifestyle is HUGE. Remember you can still binge watch Netflix after your run is complete. Happy New Year and Happy Running.