Race Day: Frosty 5k, Elkhart, IN

Image by koocbor via Flickr

By Brent:

Talk about an unplanned event. Not the race organizers, ME!?!

I have not run in a good 3 weeks. That was a slow 4 mile outing learning about my Garmin 305 GPS watch. Well low and behold I was told about the Frosty 5k 2 days before it was happening. I am in pretty good "biking shape" but I have lost a lot of my running ability. It was a nice cheap $20 entry fee but it wasn't that I knew people so much running it that interested me. It was the course. Running in the snow around Sim's Oak Hills Golf Course. Even golfing there can be a challenge. You can park in the fairway and lose your golf cart in some of the "potholes" they have in the fairways. The thought of running there was kinda fun.

I knew I should stretch myself out a bit and get the legs moving a bit so I told myself I would go for a short leisurely paced run Friday and then the race would be Saturday at 10.

Well, I did go out and run but I did too much, too fast. I ran 2.5 miles averaging 9.30/mile. I was thinking more like a mile or 1.5 miles around 11 minute miles.

Race day I was already feeling the tenderness from the day prior. The course was quite snowy. In fact it was a lot snowy. At all times your were running on at least 3 inches of snow. At 220 lbs I don't exactly float across the white stuff so needless to say you were constantly catching your traction as you went along. Add in the hills and 30 degree weather for that matter and you can imagine it was no ones personal best time.

I think for $20 this is a race that next year I would be interested in again just because of the challenge and to see what more I could do to my time. A couple things I would do different next year? A few, but honestly the big thing would just be the fact of running more prior to the day before the race. Also I think I would have worn my Yak Trax. I only didn't because the race called it "part paved and part trail" so I figured more like a snowy version of Steve's Run in Dowagiac, MI. Well, it was ALL trail, but now I know. Knowing the course always helps to so I hope this happens again next year.

The race organizers need to advertise this race a bit better would be the only thing I have to add to the preparation of the Frosty 5. This was the second year and there were 39 runners. I have no idea how anyone knew about the inaugural event, but alas, it must have happened.

Well, my ankles are still sore but it nice knowing the race season has already started!!! Keep on melting snow!!!!