Hot Chocolate 15k (x 5)

Year number 5 in a row for me.  I wasn't expecting to race this too hard since Ironman was just 2 weeks ago, but I figured it waI s worth it just to keep my streak alive at this event and with a marathon coming up in Jan, I should really be bouncing back fairly quickly.

The expo was a fair size, given that it is not a marathon or Ironman.  I went on my lunch break, shortly after they opened.  I picked up my bib and then my 5-year schwag.  The 5-year stuff included a knit hat, a 5-year pin and an extra medal.  There was also an extra race bib highlighting my 5 year "Legacy status".  I didn't wear that one, but I did see a few people that had pinned that one to their back.  Maybe I'll do that next time.

I was disappointed when I walked over to the table to get my jacket and they said they were out of my size.  Turns out the truck that had my size jackets was late in making the delivery.  I had to go to the information table where they took my name and bib number and said they would have my jacket on race day.

Race Day

It was a cold morning which was perfect for me.  My truck said it was mid-50's which is my favorite temperature for running.  I had gloves with me but when I got there and walked around a bit, I decided I didn't need them so I put them back in the truck.  I usually get to this race plenty early because the 5k starts earlier than the 15k and the road to the biggest parking lot is closed by the time the 5k starts.  

I parked and got out and walked around a bit, just taking in the race atmosphere and using the port-a-john before the lines got too long. It seems that no matter how many they have, by the time the 15k is close to starting, the lines are always ridiculous.

I waited for a bit in the truck and just mentally prepared for the race.  I revisited my training for Ironman and thought about my tendency to be too conservative with my pacing.  I guess that is better than going out too hard and hitting the wall and slowing down dramatically at the end of the race.  In fact, my race report for this race last year lead me to remember how conservative I was:

I was feeling pretty good so I started picking up the pace at 8 miles (9:58) and a bit more at 9 (8:42) and managed to pick it up a bit more for the last third of a mile (8:21) feeling pretty good.  I guess my training has been better than I thought and I need to start being more aggressive in my race plans.

 I knew that with that much improvement, I had a lot more I could have done.  I promised myself to push harder and sooner this year.  About 20 min before the scheduled start time, I headed over to the start.

Race

I was assigned to corral H, but I knew that I would not be starting out at that pace, so I moved back till I found my target start pace of 10:30 minute per mile.  A few minutes later, the pacer recognized me from last year and said "I need to put up with you again?" and laughed.  She paced the 10:30 group last year.  I ran with her till about mile 8 and she remembered that and was telling others around how I just "took off" for a fast finish.

I told her that I tend to start too conservative and pick up my pace too late so I wasn't sure how long I would be staying with her this year.  She said that she loves seeing people take off and not stop till they finish.

First couple miles were just a touch faster than 10:30 (10:00 avg at 3 miles).  At the 3 mile sign, my heart rate had stabilized and was at something I knew I could sustain for the next hour or so and I said goodbye to my pacer.  For the next couple miles I worked at not speeding up too much.  I did a good job and the next three miles were 9:45, 9:24 and 9:33.  After that, I kept an eye on my pace and worked to not drop off my pace too much.  I did pretty good because the next couple miles passed in the same range.  Mile 8 was the tough one for me and I managed 9:42 which was my slowest mile in the second half of the race.

After struggling through mile 8, I kicked it into gear for mile 9 which was my fastest mile of the race.  I kept speeding up and the last third of a mile came in at 8:25 for a relatively fast finish (well, fast for me anyway).

Post Race

I crossed the finish line ahead of my "dream goal" time of 1:30, showing once again that I continue to under-estimate my fitness level, even when I am intentionally being aggressive.  I got my finishers medal and some sports drink and made my way to the exit.  

I went to look for the information tent to see about my jacket.  They had it there for me and apologized for the mix up and not having it available at the expo.  I was glad they did have it.  One of the things I like about this race is that instead of the usual race t-shirt, they have a jacket.  Some years are better than others, but they usually have zippered pockets, which I like. They are also usually pretty warm, at least for the harsh winters we usually have here in Arizona.

Results

Total time 1:29:55 (about 4 min faster than last year)
Avg pace 9:39 (24 sec per min faster than last year)
Overall in the top 28% (2017 top 30%, 2016 top 20%)2104 top 15% was my best year and 15k PR at 1:22:17

Footnote

One of the cool things about this race is free race pictures.  Yes, FREE.  This year however, I only saw 2 photographers.  One on the course and another after the finish line.  The course photographer didn't get a picture of me without someone else in front of me (in spite of the fact that I did pull away from the group so he could have gotten a better one of me) and I didn't like the ones they got at the finish line.  But, it's free, and I have liked pictures they got of me in prior years.  

EDIT TO ADD: Maybe I was just impatient.  I just got an email telling me they found more pictures of me.  I actually like a couple of them!