I went for a 10 pace and just held it steady. This race is a FUN race. The spectator support is awesome. We ran through a ritzi neighborhood of huge beautiful houses all decked out for Christmas. There were people outside in their bathrobes drinking coffee and cheering us on. There was a man spinning a ball on his finger with yet another ball spinning on top of that, a girl in a costume on stilts, and several other costumed characters including the "Eat More Chicken" cow! Some of the runners were in Christmas costumes dressed as elves, reindeer, and even a full santa costume.

I was all smiles, and just happy to be running. At mile 3, I got passed by a blind man. He was alone (no spotter) and using a white stick. He held that white stick in front of him and gently swayed it from side to side to clear the way. This is a very crowded race, so he had his work cut out for him getting through the runners. It nearly brought tears to my eyes to see the challenges that other people overcome in order to run, and I'm just so grateful that I can.

Mile after mile went by and I had no knee pain or muscle stiffness at all. I was watching for that 9 mile mark, but I already knew I would not be stopping or walking. I was at a slow enough pace not to cause any injuries or hamper continued training, so I just stayed steady the rest of the way.

Nothing. Yes, I would have loved to PR this race over last year, but that was just not in the cards. I have no regrets about not pushing this race and am just ECSTATIC that it was pain free! Actually, words can't even describe how happy and thankful I was to run with no issues. I am SO excited to finally start moving forward again.

Did some stretching and ate some snacks.

Warming up with coffee after the race.


Flat is for Sissies T-shirt!






Not being able to train properly due to injury.


I LOVE this race. This race tops my list as the most FUN race ever and I hope to do it every year. The course is great, the spectator support is awesome, and the Expo is one of the best I've ever been to. And for some reason, the actual running of this race is just happy and fun and makes you feel good inside.

Update: Oh no! Just saw that next year's date is moved to mid-November! We're still wrapping up triathlon season in November. I will not be able to do this race next year for sure, and likely not ever again depending on when B2B falls. VERY disappointing indeed.