super bowl shuffle 5K RR

I've run this race with my cousin every year in its existence.  To get a better sense of how much I love this race, you should read my race recaps from 2011 and 2012.  

So Jill and I got there early, got our AWESOME hoodies, and sat in the car where it was warm.  Then we had to use the bathroom, so we went to the smelly poo houses, oh 20 feet from the car.  The smelly poo houses, it turns out, had been tipped over at some point, and that nasty blue goop was EVERYWHERE.  Oh, and it was frozen.  Somehow, I managed to not get any of it on my person.  NO SMALL TASK.

A cool thing about the hoodies - they change the colors each year to reflect the team colors of the host city.  I'm excited to see what they do for next year... will they go Giants or Jets?

We waited until the very last instant to head to the start line.  Which was in a different place from last year.  Weird, we said.  SPOILER ALERT - it's because the entire course was reversed.  Hah.  Once again, maybe I should start reading course maps.  Maybe that will have to be a goal for 2014.

With it being Super Bowl Sunday, the most awesome day of the whole entire year, OF COURSE I dressed up.

My AWESOME outfit for the race, complete with helmet ninja mask.

All of a sudden, the horn sounded, and we were OFF!

Mile 1:  Yep, definitely a different course.   But going this way, we'll have the long boring stretch at the beginning, and some sweet downhills at the end.  I somehow managed to line myself up in the correct spot, because I'm running at an even pace compared to the people next to me.  Which is always awesome.  I had zero expectations going into this race, and am pleasantly surprised when I cross the first mile marker in sub-8 minutes.  7:46

Mile 2:  I should mention that the path is covered in snow, the wind is STRONG and blowing right in my face, I'm too hot in my ninja mask, my top has ridden up in the front and I'm convinced that my abs have frostbite, and my nose is running.  ATTRACTIVE.  Also, I would love very much to be done with this race by now.  7:43

Mile 3:  Oh crap, there's a big hill looming.  Normally, we go DOWN this particular hill.  My legs are sooo tired from my long run on Saturday (jumping over snow drifts and running on unshoveled sidewalks), and it's cold and they really don't want to move.  We go onto a bike path now, and instead of going up it like we usually do, we get to go DOWN.  At the END.  Makes that little uphill seem like nothing, since we get this amazing treat at the end of the race.  Best mile of the day.  7:39

Mile 3.12:  We have to do this weird loop around the baseball field, and then there's the finish line.  I'm nowhere near a PR, but I sprint my ass off to get under 24 minutes.  AND I DO... by the skin of my teeth!  0:51

FINAL TIME:  23:59
AVERAGE PACE:  7:41
LESSON LEARNED:  I keep having to learn this one, but omg, start reading course maps!
NEXT 5K:  St Paddy's Day 5K, 3.9.2013

We got the biggest surprise crossing the finish line - MEDALS!  I didn't know there would be finisher medals, and was SO EXCITED to get some bling!  They decided against giving out age group awards this year, in favor of the finisher medals for everyone, but in checking the results later, I found that I took 2nd in my new age box.  IT STILL COUNTS.  :)

Super Bowl swag!