The Naughty or Nice 5K in Lake Mary was my third race. Costumes were encouraged, and lots of people dressed up as elves or Santa Claus. One woman dressed like an angel and I heard a lot of jingle bells on the run. I wore a festive outfit and got photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus and a candy cane stilt walker.
Training & Goals
Prior to this race I had been running 3 times per week for almost five months. Runs around this time ranged in length from about 3 to about 4 miles. I had been fighting a head cold before the race so I didn't expect to PR.
Race Day: December 19, 2015
Driving to the start and parking were uneventful. It was good weather for running: 46°F and sunny.
Mile 1: 11:24
We started in front of Front Running Sports in Lake Mary and headed down a nice multi-use trail.
Mile 2: 11:38
Jingle all the way!
Mile 3+: 11:45, 2:09*
Even though I didn't expect to PR, I was still disappointed to see I finished slower than my previous race. That didn't stop me from having two celebratory Munchkins afterwards.
Chip time: 36:07 (NO PR)
Placement details: 26th in age, 231st overall out of 373 finishers
Race Amenities: Swag included a cotton ladies t-shirt and a nice big finisher medal. Various holiday character photo ops including Santa & Mrs. Claus.
Cost: $28.00 including $3 transaction fee.
*I often forget to turn off my Garmin after a race, so the final time is skewed.
Report written March 9, 2016
My first race of 2016! The Soaring Soles 5K and 10K races started just down the street from our house. How could I resist a race I could walk to, and that offered free unlimited beer to participants? The dual races raised money for Volusia County Special Olympics on behalf of the Fraternal Order of Eagles.
So I kind of signed up for the Volusia Pines Elementary 5K on a whim. I was looking for races on RunSignUp.com and this nearby event came up. There weren't a lot of participants listed and the price was right ($10) so I thought I'd go for it. After I registered online, I realized I hadn't been asked my shirt size. And that it wasn't a timed race, which was something I'd meant to avoid. RunSignUp allowed cancellation for a while before the registration went through, so I cancelled my registration and sent an inquiry to the race director... who thanked me profusely for signing up. I got the t-shirt business sorted out and signed up again for the race. The race was to raise money for the school's kindergarten playground.