Race Recap

Happy Thanksgiving Week!  I'm taking a break from the usual cleaning and purging and moving things around as we prepare for friends and family to descend upon us on Thursday and Friday.  It's been a busy but fun November so far.  My sister and husband came to visit and run the Hot Chocolate race with us.  I will write in length about that fun visit later.  Tomorrow my god-sister and family who just moved to the States is visiting from Kentucky to spend their first Thanksgiving here. I haven't seen her since leaving the Philippines in 1991. When I visited a few years ago she was out of the country. I can't wait to see her again. Then on Friday we will have my husband's family (and friends) over for our annual dinner.  So now you understand why I need to sit down for a bit to blog.

The Hot Chocolate run was so fun!  My Texas family came the Wednesday prior to the race (Sunday). The weather that week was crappy the sun barely came out and the temps were temperamental.  But the leaves in our neighborhood were still firing reds, yellows and oranges.  I told my sister that the Lord really favored her with a late Ohio fall so she can enjoy the colorful foliage.  

We decided to pick up our race packet Friday before race day.  We fetched the oldest two kids at school (plus a friend) and headed straight downtown.  At the last minute we invited my son's friend, who is a cross-country runner, to register.  We were so thrilled when his mom said yes.  With my son assigned to the preferred corral (the fastest corral), he didn't really want to be running by himself.

Sunday was warm but misty.  There was a threat of thunderstorms so we were monitoring the weather into the early morning.  Fortunately, by the time we were getting ready to go downtown the heavy rain was over.  I have always enjoyed the festive race atmosphere and in big races like the Hot Chocolate this energy is magnified. The threat of inclement weather did not take away the enthusiasm of the racers.  It helped that the emcee was really good. I might be hooked on big races lol.  I registered at a slower than my usual mile pace. In hindsight this may not have been a good move because it put me on a slow corral.  It made me baby my run and not push myself harder. On the other hand it may have been the right move since I have been so sick for the better part of October.  Needless to say I wasn't chasing a personal record, it was all a fun run with the family in one of the biggest race in town.  We are planning to do it again and work towards our legacy status.  

I was hoping to run the Turkey Trot on Thursday but I am nursing a chest cold again.  The goal is to run a Winter race so I have until February to get better!

Here are some photos from Hot Chocolate - 

we should be ambassadors for Newton running shoes (except for my child!)

the Lord loves my sister so He saved some colorful leaves for her