Wednesday, December 18, 2013

2013 St. Nick Fun Run 5K Recap!

 
A couple of days after the half marathon, I noticed that there was a St. Nick 5K coming up on the next Saturday.  I'm kind of a sucker when it comes to jingle bell runs (see here and here for example), so I talked to a couple of my running buddies and before long, we had a nice little group signed up to do it!  Never mind that I hadn't run since the half; this race was a full 10 miles less than what we did on Sunday, so no big deal, right?  With that in mind, I planned my outfit, encouraged Jeff to dress up (he had some crazy Elf shorts but didn't want to wear them), and early Saturday morning, we were once again toeing the start line for a race:
Can you believe Jeff thought he was going to get away with NOT wearing this outfit?  Has he MET me??  
At the tent of our favorite running store...

This race benefited the tuition assistance program of a local preschool, and was held in the historic part of College Station.  I've seen the front of the school as I've driven by, but we were amazed at how charming the area was when we drove in; you'd never know this place existed from the main road.  There were about 175 runners of all ages, plus a lot of dogs - there was a warm, homey atmosphere, and I felt like we'd stumbled into a hidden gem of a race.
My friend Carol and her two "rein" dogs ran the race!

The race started and we took off.  I hadn't run since the half marathon six days ago.  But this was only 3.1 miles...what could go wrong?  Well, as it turns out, fueling for the race with candy and marshmallows the night before might not have been the best idea - you see, we attended an Elf party the night before, and things got a little crazy.  Here's just one slightly blurry picture as an example:
Me, Stephanie and Phillip; our mouths were stuffed with marshmallows for a contest (you put in two at a time and had to say "Buddy the Elf" - then repeat until only one person could say it clearly - Phillip won, although Stephanie and I gave it a valiant try!)

Anyway.  This run was a struggle - at one point I looked at my Garmin and we hadn't even gone 3/4 of a mile and I knew it was not going to be pretty.  I was very thankful that I didn't feel like this during my half - can you imagine the horror?  Oh well, they can't all be winners.  Amy and I house shopped as we ran through this new-to-us neighborhood - many of the houses had historic markers and had been there since the 1930s.  I picked out several with wrap-around porches, and one that had carriage doors on the garage.  Pretty sure these houses are out of my price range, unfortunately.  It was fun to dream, though, and it did help the very slow miles pass by.  
We crossed the finish line and little kids (with their parent's help) were handing out candy canes and bottled water.  A mom tried to make her very little girl (maybe two years old?) had me a candy cane and the girl wrenched it back from her mom and said "NO!  I give" but then she didn't give it to me, which cracked me up because hey, if you're two and you've got candy in-hand, DO NOT let it go.  Just saying...she learned that quick! Then Jeff showed me his prize - he'd won a $10 gift card to our running store for being the most spirited with his outfit.  Hah!  I feel like I should get half that prize since I made him dress up.  Another woman in our group got the prize for the female outfit - she wore an "ugly" sweater but actually it was kind of cute:
Jeff, me and Kasey of the ugly-cute sweater fame!

They had a great post-race spread - several kinds of hot coffee from a local brewer, fruit, and cookies from Blue Baker!  I had an oatmeal-raisin cookie and a couple of cups of coffee and that was perfect.  In fact, we were all planning on going to Blue Baker after the race for breakfast, but thanks to the coffee and cookies, we were full, so we didn't go.  

This race was a good deal for the entry fee - we paid $25 just a few days before the race (I think the price was lower a few months ago) and received a reusable grocery bag with actual stuff in it (sunscreen, small waterproof box, coupon for a free cookie at Blue Baker), and the race shirt is a nice cotton long-sleeve.  The only thing I thought odd was that when registering, if you wanted a size medium shirt, you had to pay an additional $2.  Naturally, the cheapskate in me didn't pony up, so my shirt is a bit on the long and baggy side, but it's comfortable!  Had I known the shirts were long-sleeved, I probably would have paid the extra (ok, with some grumbling) because I like to wear them in in the wintertime.  All in all, it was a nice way to finish out our races for the year!
Back of the race shirt...anyone else think that Santa is carrying a mug of beer on first glance?  No...just me, then???

16 comments:

  1. How much fun! First I felt sorry for Jeff but after him winning that prize the sorry was soon over :) and yes: claim it, it's yours :)

    I still can't believe how expensive running in the USA is. Yes you get food/drinks afterwards and a goodie bag but with these prices running races isn't for everyone I think. For this money you can run at least 3 5K's in Holland. But as said: we don't get food/drinks afterwards :) usually you get a giveaway or a medal.

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    1. $20 - $25 is about average for most 5Ks - although they are usually fundraisers for certain organizations, so a lot of the entry fee goes to a good cause (or one I choose to support, anyway). The for-profit races (like the color runs or themed races) are crazy-expensive...more along the $45 - $55 range!

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    2. If a good cause is connected you can usually donate money when you sign up for a race. The race fee itself then is still payable. We had some color runs here last year too and they were very expensive too, about the same range. Guess all those colors cost a lot :)

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  2. SANTA is so so so so so imbibing.
    but can we blame him? he works so hard :-)

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  3. That looks like a really fun run, even if you were still tired from the week before. Jeff is a good sport. And the Elf party looks really fun too. You should have gotten a prize for being the cutest with a mouth full of marshmallows. I can't find Elf anywhere to rent!

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    1. Rent Elf?! You should own it! Well, I do (obviously) - I just like it so much that I end up watching it several times each year.

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  4. Making note to self...marshmallows before running are not a good idea! :-)

    Sounds like a fun race!

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  5. I'm not surprised that you were still tired from the half. Distance racing just takes more out of you than you realize. But you supported a good cause, had a good time, and won a prize! Yes, I say 'you' won the prize and Jeff should hand over the certificate immediately, especially since he was thinking about not wearing the outfit. ;)

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  6. Oh my goodness, those elf legs! I would have awarded him at least a $20 prize!!!

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  7. GREAT shorts!! And I loved your "ears" :) Would love to have joined you for the house shopping, they sound like lovely homes. Now go help Jeff spend his gift prize on YOU!

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  8. I want that snowman sweater!! Ha! Love Jeff's out fit too! :D

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  9. Haha Shelley - see if any of those houses are bank owned, you could get a bargain :D

    I love how you all dressed up :D

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  10. I love theme races (especially Christmas ones) and this one sounds like much fun!

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  11. What a fun race! I like your fueling strategy! Tis the season! Ha ha ha. And Jeff DOES owe you part of that gift card! Come on! Lol :)

    So odd about paying extra for an M. Never heard of that!

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  12. Awww, love the costumes and glad you had fun!

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