Santa Hustle 1/2 Marathon Recap

Hi Everyone,

Sorry for the delay posting this, life kinda got in the way.  This race happened 1-week ago today, Sunday December 10th.

This was my 10th 1/2 Marathon, 6th one this year and my final race of 2017. Well, that’s the plan anyway.  But you never know what might pop up.  LOL.

What a great weekend I had, running with friends, Yoga, and a race at Cedar Point Amusement Park.

It all started on Saturday morning, when I ran 5 snowy miles with some of my Sloth Friends.  Because that’s what you do right?  Run 5 miles the day before a 1/2 marathon because you felt that you hadn’t been training hard enough.

Then it was off to Yoga!  Love practicing Yoga with my running friends and our instructor Renee Small (light blue top on the left). The stretching was to-die-for!  It helps that it was at  Earnest Brew Works and we get to refresh with a Craft Beer DURING our session.

Then home to pack and then off to Sandusky.  I arrived at the Castaway Bay Resort our Host Hotel for the race.  I me up with several Run Toledo Ambassadors.  We hung out in the water park.  The “Grotto” hot tub was amazing, just what the doctor ordered.  It had a outdoor side that you could access and it was snowing out.  We felt like those monkeys in the Hot Springs with the snow falling.

Later we all met for dinner and enjoyed some great Italian Cuisine at Danny Boy’s Restaurant.  

Ok, so this is a Santa Themed Race and I’m not usually one to dress up for a race, but you know, when in Rome! So, with your race admission, they give you a Santa Hat, Beard, Shirt and Candy Cane Socks. So wear them I did!

Sunday morning brought us about 21 degree temps, light snow, somewhere between 20 and 30 mph winds off the lake.  So for those of you that are not from around here, Cedar Point is an amusement park on a Peninsula that juts out into Lake Erie.  It is narrow and has water on both sides.

A few of us met up at the hotel for a quick Pic in front of the warm fireplace, the last heat we would all feel for a while.

We huddled up for a pic, but truth be told, it was to conserve HEAT.

 

It was kinds neat to see the park in the winter.

The actual race was brutal. The first 2 miles were in the park, which was, for the most part, out of the wind, but mile 3 took us out of the park and around the west side to the north side of the peninsula.  Cold, Cold, Cold!  We circled back and then we had to cross the Causeway.  This is a narrow road that leads from Sandusky to the Park.  More COLD and of course the Wind.  At times it kinds felt like you were standing still!  Mile 9 was the Turn around point then back.  We did get a slight break on the way back with some Tail Wind.

Sorry, no on-course pic’s.  Fingers wouldn’t work, frozen I think! LOL

While it wasn’t a PR for me, it was the fastest 1/2 of 2017 at a 2:12:17 for a 10:06 average pace.  I’ll take it.

Overall it was a good race, made so much better by the Great People I was surrounded by all weekend.  Love my running family!

Until Next Time …. Happy Running.

Rich,

P.S.  The hot topic of the week leading up to the race and throughout the weekend was the budding Bromace between these three!  But that’s a story for another time! LOL.

 

Do you like running in the cold?

Have you ever dressed up for a race?

Drop me a comment, love to hear from you.