Double or Nothing: Frost Giant 5k/10k Race Recap

It's a Sunday, so I must be running.

Today's training schedule had me running 9 miles. A couple months ago I found the Frost Giant 5k/10k race, which conveniently had an option to run BOTH races for a measly $33.

Umm...yes please.

SO I signed up and hoped for the best. The race took place up in Estes Park, CO.

As you can tell, this is just the armpit of Colorado. So ugly, right?

But seriously, today could not have been a better day to race. 45 degrees and sunny the whole time. Perfection. I'm not sure how well I'm going to be able to handle summer races at this rate...my poor thermostat is calibrated for "winter" running by now!

The 5k started at 11 AM (god bless them for not making it earlier...I slept until 8 and still had time to take my time getting up there) and looked like this:


 It's hillier than it looks on a map. Also, it's at 7500 feet, which is NOT sealevel. It was basically a giant hill out, then down it back. There were cow pies and dirt to be had, and it was probably 2/3 trail run, but it was fun. Slower than my usual (my official time was 28:34 I think), but that's to be expected.

After the 5k, I had about half an hour to kill, so I sat in my car to keep warm. 45 isn't that cold, unless you're already soaking wet. Then it starts to be an issue.

The 10k looked something like this:

A lot more cow patties on this one. Also, a lot more hills. The first mile or so was pretty much all up hill...and it started snowing. Granted, it looked more like someone had thrown glitter over us than actual snow, but still. Principle remains.

Once again, my time was pretty lacking and my pace was abysmal. But my official time was 1:06:10, so at the very least I beat my time from the 6th grade Battle Road Run fiasco (I don't want to talk about it).

But here's the best part...

I ACTUALLY PLACED!!

Now, granted, they were giving prizes to the top 5 in each age group. And the 5k had roughly 150 runners, while the 10k had only about 80. And the age group was 26-32 so I wasn't competing against all those kids fresh out of college (or still in it). But still! I placed!!!!

The ribbons are totally the same ones you used to get for placing during Field Day in elementary school. Love it. I've never been so proud of a piece of cheap fabric in my life.

It was a good day.