This was the standard YMCA 5K route. It snowed a bit last night so there was snow and ice to watch out for on some of the course. There were volunteers out guiding us in the right direction and also folks calling out split times as the first and second mile. I was right at 10 minutes for the first mile. I was hoping to maintain or quicken that pace through the rest of the race but the hills in the second and third mile slowed me down a bit. Time at second mile marker was 20:20. I was infinately happy to crest the final hill and hit flat land again! I was shooting for a sub 32 minute race which I managed. Overall, I was happy with the race.

Walked a lap around the parking lot until my breathing and heart rate returned to normal then took advantage of the snack table before settling down for a nice long stretch.


This was a very low-key event. It was the first in a series to help folks prepare for mini marathon. Maybe 30 runners total. Nevertheless, there were tons of awesome voluteers who stood out in the cold to call out split times and make sure we stayed on course. Every single one of them gave a shout of encouragement along the way.