Race #2

I successfully completed my second race of 2012!

As I've progressed into February, I have conjured up more running goals. One is to run at least one race every month. This goal is one of few reasons I chose to wake up at 5:00 on Saturday morning after only 4 1/2 hours of sleep to run in 5 degree temps (wind chill was below 0). When a friend called me a lunatic, I had to agree. BUT, I was not the only lunatic. 1,669 other lunatics braved the frigid Iowa weather and completed Red Flannel Run 3-mile or 5-mile race.

It wasn't my 5-mile PR, but I was still happy with my 43:22 finish time. I placed 19th in my age division and 118th overall for women.

As I was preparing at midnight on Friday, I was debating on how many layers to pile on. Were tights enough? How many shirts? In the end I wore two layers of pants and four (yes, 4!) layers of shirts. It was not intentional. I had nowhere else to store my new race t-shirt, so I layered it on. The first mile I was chilly, but when I crossed the finish line I had sweat through my tights, thermal running shirt and first race tee. My hair was completely soaked under my fleece hat. I'm hoping this is the coldest race I run this year. But in case it isn't, I know I've done it before and survived to tell the tale... and without frostbite.