Jingle All the Way 10K Race Report

  

 I ran this 10K on Sunday, December 14 2008. Bryant and I headed down to DC the day before and checked into the Westin hotel close to Georgetown. We hadn't stayed in this area before but picked the hotel because it was within walking distance of the start of the race. The hotel was amazing! The rooms were like "home" very comfy, modern and with very nice furniture, making you feel like you were at an upscale hotel. We decided to walk the mall after I picked up my race gear which included jingle bells to attach to your shoelaces. We went to the newly opened Museum of American History (I think that was what it was called). Pretty cool museum, but we were feeling hungry and tired which is never a good combination! We decided to do lunch at a place we've been to a few times in DC - Capitol Brewery. I had one of their pizzas as my attempt at carbo-loading pre-race. It was very good. We took the Metro back to the hotel and decided to just take a break and nap. After that, we decided to check out the National Christmas Tree - we both thought that it was a little too well lit with white lights, but they did have a tree for each state decorated with ornaments put together in local schools. 

It was pretty cold and we got tired of all the walking, but it was pretty late and we weren't really very hungry for dinner. So, I was still craving carbs and we ended up getting some popcorn from the local RiteAid - perfect!!

Race Day: we woke up very early, and I emphasize the "we" because even though Bryant wasn't running the race, he woke up with me anyway to be a spectator and take some pictures while I was running. It was pretty chilly for the race start, my guess is that it was mid-20s. I think I bundled up enough - I did warm up as the race went on, but there was a pretty brisk wind so that made it tough. The race itself was an out-and-back 10K course along the Potomac River, right by where you would go to see the Cherry Blossoms in the spring. I felt really great during the race. I would say I ran pretty consistently at an 80% effort, which translated into a 9:19 pace and a finish time of 57:50. I was pretty happy with this since it was one of the faster 10K's I have run in a really long time. I felt good after the race and we walked back to the hotel with cookies and refreshments in hand. While I ran the race, Bry took some pictures around the Lincoln and Vietnam Memorials. Here's one example of his work:


After getting showered and eating breakfast at a cafe across the street from the hotel, we decided that since Bryant did his part in being a supporter while I raced, we'd go to the National Air and Space Museum in Virginia - a much larger facility than the one on the National Mall. I must say that it was amazing, even for someone who isn't an aircraft mechanic, like Bry.

We headed home after that - overall a great weekend and great race. I think I'll plan on doing that one again next year!

- Kel