Race Into the New Year

The Race Into the New Year is one of my favorite races we run. The race starts at 11:45 so you are running at midnight and into the New Year. Each year I start getting tired at 10:00 and lose some enthusiasm for the race. This year I was excited the entire time and ready to run the race. During naptime I was reading and fell asleep for a while so that definitely helped! Ty stayed home with the kids since he runs The Polar Bear Plunge on New Year's Day and Thomas ran the race this year for the first time. I wanted to run a 2 mile warm up and cool down to get 7 miles in for the day. My warm up went really well and I ran under 8 minute pace for it, which was faster than normal. I was trying to figure out the race course because it was changed from all the previous years. Instead of turning to the right from the start like usual there were cones blocking the way so I ran out to the left and it appeared the course would be out and back over a bridge and to the other side of the river. I was disappointed the course was different as I have always really enjoyed the course.

Group shot after the race.

At the starting line they announced that the course was changed because the 21st Street bridge we normally cross was blocked with construction equipment due to the construction on The Gathering Place, a huge park that's being built off Riverside Drive. The race director told us that instead of the usual certified course she had found out the bridge was blocked the day before so the course wasn't even measured and was likely long so not to worry if your time was off. I was glad I wasn't going for a fast time. Originally after running the equivalent to 19:29 at the Jenks 5k I had planned to continue speed work after the Route 66 half-marathon and try to run a fast time at this race so I could have closer to 19:30 as an official 5k PR on a certified course. But then after all the races in a row and how my legs felt at the Ugly Sweater 5k I decided to just have fun at the Race Into the New Year. My plan was to go out hard. If I was able to run the first mile in under 6:20 I would keep pushing and try to run a fast time. If I was over 6:20 I'd ease up and just enjoy the race. We took off and the race thinned out really quickly from the start. By the half mile mark I was already the first overall female and ran much of the first portion of the race with Jeremy. I went through the mile mark in 6:25 so I decided to ease off the pace a bit and just go for a hard tempo run. When I reached 1.5 miles into the race I didn't see anyone coming back along the course so I knew the course was going to be long. When I got to the turn around I was at 1.75 miles and was shocked the course was going to be about 4/10 of a mile long! It would be the longest 5k I'd ever run. When I realized how long the course was going to be, I figured screw it and grabbed a cup of champagne at the water stop. I've always wanted to do that but have always either been going for a fast time or having a tough race so I didn't. I enjoyed drinking the champagne and the people at the water stop were shocked the top female had taken champagne and cheered and laughed as I went through. I saw Jeremy, dad, and Thomas after the turn around and then realized I was scanning the other side looking for Ty and the kids in the stroller. It took me a minute to remember he wasn't there. Then I saw mom and we cheered for each other.

The champagne didn't sit well on my stomach and I was burping quite a bit for the rest of the race. My 2nd mile split was 6:45. Around that point in the race a guy came up beside me so I decided to go with him. He was wearing a head lamp and when I started to pull away from him, his head lamp was shining directly on me which caused my shadow to be bopping along ahead of me which was strange. Last year, read about that race here, I had crossed the bridge and was running toward the finish line when the fireworks went off at midnight. It was an awesome view of the fireworks and I really enjoyed it! In 2013/2014, read about that race here, I had been on the bridge during the fireworks since I had run slower and enjoyed that view as well since I could see the fireworks reflected in the river. Since the course was so long this year I was still on the other side of the river when the fireworks went off. When I got to the bridge the fireworks were still going off so I got to see them pretty well and enjoyed the reflection of the fireworks in the river. By the time I reached the other side of the river the fireworks were done so I didn't get the awesome view like last year. I went through mile 3 in 6:44 and started picking the pace up for the last half mile of the race. I went through the last portion of the race in 6:26 and as I approached the finish line they held up an overall female finisher banner. Right after I finished more fireworks started going off and all the workers were yelling, "That's for you, girl!" and cheering for me. It was so neat. They had never shot off more fireworks for the overall female finisher before. I really wanted to get some water, especially with how my stomach felt after running the second half of the race with champagne sitting on my stomach, but I stood and watched the fireworks first. When they finished I grabbed some water and then headed out on a cool down to run back with mom. I got to see Jeremy finish and then cheered for Thomas and dad as we ran by each other. I enjoyed running back with mom and telling her about my race. She was excited to find out that the second set of fireworks had been set off to celebrate my finish.

I finished the 3.54 mile race in 23:28 which my Garmin showed was 6:36 pace. When I entered 6:36 pace for a 5k into a pace calculator it gave a finishing time of 20:33. I was pleased that I wasn't far off my time from last year in a race when I gave it my all and ran a PR whereas this year I held back, didn't run my fastest, and even drank champagne during the race. That put me 1st overall female and I was given a giant champagne glass filled with gold confetti, a $75 gift card to a local running store, a wine glass, and a cute New Year's hat. I was surprised when I looked at results later to see 2nd place was over 2 minutes behind me. Jeremy finished in 25:11 and won his age group. Thomas finished 6th in his age group with a time of 27:28. Dad was next finishing in 27:49 which put him 2nd in his age group. Mom finished in 39:54 which put her 4th in her age group. We enjoyed some treats after the race, my favorite was a chocolate cake from Whole Foods!

Wearing my hat when we got home.

The next morning dad and Ty continued their annual tradition of running the Polar Bear Plunge. The race is 2 miles long and consists of jumping into 3 different pools during the run. Mom decided to run the race with them this year as the forecast showed it should be around 57 degrees at race start. Race morning surprised us by being much cooler than originally forecasted. The temperature was in the low 40's during the race and dropped even more throughout. I took the kids to watch and Jeremy met us there. As the kids were playing on the playground before the race I looked over and saw my friend Niki with her kids. Carter was so excited to play with his friend and then to spectate with her. Dad and Ty have run the race for 4 years in a row, starting in 2014. I ran the race the first year they did it and have opted out since. I might run it again someday. It wasn't jumping in the pools during the race that I disliked, it was how long it took me to warm up again after the race. I drank a ridiculous amount of hot chocolate, took a hot shower, put on layers, and snuggled with Carter and was still cold. Maybe I should've followed Ty's lead and drank some alcohol! Watching the race was a fun way to start the year and Carter loved cheering. When we were leaving he asked how long until he'd get to jump into a pool.