What is there to say about Snow Fun besides that it is hands down the best after-party ANY race could ever have (and Shamrock Shuffle with the Giuliano's is pretty darn fun).
I went into this race not knowing at all what to expect. All of my training for the past 12 days had been on a treadmill on a ship (went on a cruise with Ryan's family), so I'm not sure how my legs, or better yet my lungs, would respond to the cold weather back home.
I told myself to take the first mile slower... hard to do when the first half is downhill. I went out in a 6:10. I was thinking 6:15, but attributed excitement to that 5 seconds. My next mile was a 6:08, a pretty flat mile, so I was a bit surprised that I had actually increased the pace. My lungs were definitely feeling it and I was coughing quite a bit (just ask Dave Schaefers--poor guy heard me coughing the whole time!). Third mile was a 6:09... I was pretty proud of myself for maintaining still, especially since there is a slight hill at the turn-around in mile three. Mile four was a 6:11, so still not bad. And then comes mile five... remember the hills we went down? Yeah, we get to go back up those when we hit mile five. I just tried to push my way up (plus there was a guy right in front and in back of me, so I made it a goal to pass the guy in front and not let the guy in back get me since hills aren't exactly my strong suit), and I stayed in front of both of them. I checked my watch and realized if I gave it everything I had, I could break 31 (the last time I ran Snow Fun, 2008, I ran a 32:09, so I was hoping to be well under that). I finished in 31:10, respectable, but a 6:14 average meaning I slowed a LOT on that last mile.
I was still happy with it as it indicates that running Shamrock in 30 is definitely doable and something to shoot for.
The after party: Ryan ALMOST won the Hunk Dance (as Danielle said, the old guy winning over Ryan was, "like the fat girl winning homecoming queen: pure sympathy votes" haha). So Ryan came in with two seconds, I had a third, and a HECK of a good time with the Hillstriders, Nic and his crazy college friends, Ryan and his aunts and Danielle. Too bad Snow Fun isn't every month;)
Next race: Indoor Meet TBA in February
