It isn't hard to dress for a cold race, it is hard to dress for waiting for a cold race to start. Luckily, the parking lot and race start are side by side, so heavy coats and gloves mean you can stay warm while waiting.
The course was going to be very slippery in the park today with loads of ice all around, so I wasn't predicting a super fast time. Still it is nice to give it your best.
A slightly confusing start and we were off. I surged into the lead quickly, but let some of the 10k runners slide by. After about 1 km in, a 5K runner slipped past me as well but I stuck with him easily enough.
Most of the race seemed to be trying to find grip on the path. I hit some icy patches here and there but nothing that lead me to lose footing. Still, not wanting to ruin my season this early with a spill I stuck to a moderate pace, not even looking to my Garmin.
The worst seemed to be the down hills where we were weaving all around the path and not able to find our true speed.
As the finish started to loom closer, I was still hanging with the other 5K runner. We picked up speed a bit, but with the finish line covered in ice, I didn't sprint and came in second at a time of 19:43. Well sort of second. One of the 10K runners decided to bail and turn his race into a 5K, taking the win. That really sucks for the guy who beat me, as he should have taken that win and ran a great race. Oh well.
Still, a great day for a run. The body felt great, the heart rate was high, and I held back quite a bit. Bring on the next one.
Running on ice? Fast quick feet are your friend, it's like having extra gears. Also, good balance. So practice standing on one leg then progress to single leg deep knee bends. That's my tip for the day.
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