2018 Jingle All the Way 5k Race Recap

The Jingle All the Way (insert race distance here) has been one of my favorite races for a really long time.  I've basically run it with my Dad every year since I started running.  (Check out my recaps for 2017, 2016, 2015, 2013 and 2012.)  It's such a fun race because costumes are encouraged and the premium is always awesome.  Last year they offered a red, white and blue hat with the reindeer logo (which I wore for this year's race) but this year's hat was purple, light blue, black and white with a festive pattern.  I was so excited to bust out all of my festive running gear that I had been stocking up on throughout the year.  (I keep finding all kinds of great Christmas-themed leggings and tops all year.  So much so that I did three holiday themed runs including this one, and I never wore the same outfit twice.)  I basically end up adding onto my outfit every year, tweaking it just a little bit.  There was also the one year where I had lights, but that didn't last because they just don't stand out for a morning race despite being in the shade and the battery packs were heavy and a little annoying.

I think I’m ready as I’ll ever be for tomorrow morning’s 5k! I’ve got all the layers ready to go—wazzie wool base layer, sweatshirt, lux tights, cheap Christmas tights to go over the warm tights, Christmas sweater skirt, Balega blister resist (wool) socks, Goodr sunglasses, a zensah neck gaiter and the hat from last year’s race. Plus a Christmas stocking on my belt (great pocket for my inhaler!), aftershokz, picky bar (caffeinated for before the race), Garmin and little zippered pouch for my id and wet wipe (perfect for portajohns without hand sanitizer!) Oh and all the bells. I counted 21 in total 😬 Not sneaking up on anyone tomorrow! My water bottle is in the fridge ready to go with cherry limeade Nuun since the water stop has been cancelled due to the cold 🥶 Let’s do this!!! . . #garminfitness #oisellevolée #oiselleteamdmv #balegaimpi #balegaimpi2018 #balegabestsocksever #nuunlife #teamzensah #pickybars #itsarunnerthing #leskolayers #sweatpink #sweatpinkambassador #christmasrunning #jinglealltheway5k #pacersrunning #foreveryrun #aftershokz #shokzsquad #rungoodr #goodr

A post shared by The Thrifty Runner (@thethriftyrunner) on Dec 8, 2018 at 7:59pm PST

And this is how it looked after putting on all the layers!  (I also had some bells on my shoes.)

It was a pretty gray day, but could've been worse considering how in previous years we've had all kinds of weather.

The Washington Monument was gorgeous as always!

Leading up to the race, a friend in the Oiselle Volee had messaged me on Facebook and asked if I wanted to run with her.  I was apprehensive at first since it's always a race I do with my Dad so I don't usually meet up with friends, but after the gun goes off we basically go our own speeds and meet up once we've both finished.  I spent the morning texting back and forth my friend and she managed to get there just a couple minutes before the start of the race.  And when I knew she had started heading in my direction, I realized that we had never met up just the two of us.  We had only met a couple times with a mutual friend that was there and we hadn't seen each other in awhile and we were both bundled up.  I suddenly had the realization:  Oh crap.  Will I recognize her?  My Dad and I had seeded ourselves and I let my friend know where to find me, then someone comes through the crowd and she looks up from her phone at me.  Then we kind of do a double take to our phones and realize we found each other in the crowd! Shortly thereafter, the gun went off.  I had told my friend I wanted to get my sub-30 5k and that morning I was feeling good enough that it could be the day.

The first mile was a blur, but by mile 2 I was starting to feel gassed but my friend pressed us on.  Just as we approached the Jefferson Memorial, I needed a walk break.  My stomach was starting to feel a little angry and I needed a moment to let it settle a little bit.  We picked up the pace a little bit until the one hill that I'm well acquainted with from this race and Cherry Blossom.  On elevation maps, it really doesn't look like much. It's a blip.  It's going up 21 feet over 0.2 miles, so it comes to just under a 2% incline on a treadmill.  But after running such a flat course, it felt way harder than it should be.  Then there was that ever so slight downhill to the finish.  I crossed the finish and stopped my Garmin.

30:02.

So.  Freaking.  Close.

We got our mylar blankets, water bottles, and snacks.  I got my medal and after some prodding my friend did too.  (She doesn't usually pick up the medals since she has so many.  But this one was so cute!  The little snowman moves back and forth on a track so it looks like it's running through the snowy city.)  After meeting up with a few others in the Volee, I got a text from my Dad saying he had finished so I said bye to my friends and met with him.  We walked back to the car and stopped at a Panera for coffee and bagels and talked about how our races went.  My Dad was faster than the previous year so he was happy with his time.

30:02!!! (Had to take a couple walk breaks since my heart rate was so high and my tummy was not too happy.) I was paced by a friend in the Volee and totally was reminded why I like running in groups! “Can we walk this little bit right here?” “NOPE!” 😭 🤣 All sub-10 minute miles (9:48, 9:17, 9:32) and despite being *so* close to a sub-30 I’ll take it. . . #oisellevolée #oiselleteamdmv #jinglealltheway5k #runpacers #foreveryrun #teamzensah #rungoodr #goodr #balegaimpi #balegaimpi2018 #balegabestsocksever #nuunlife #hshive #sweatpink #sweatpinkambassador

A post shared by The Thrifty Runner (@thethriftyrunner) on Dec 9, 2018 at 7:50am PST

This should come as no surprise, but I highly recommend this race.  It is always so much fun because so many people dress up and there's festive music playing at the starting area.  It's a great way to end my racing year with a race that isn't serious at all, but on a course that's fast n flat despite that final hill so you have a really great chance at a PR.

2017 Jingle All the Way 5k Race Recap

There aren't many races that I insist on running every year.  The Jingle All the Way 5k is one of them.  This was the sixth year I ran it.  Here are the recaps for previous years:  2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 (2014 and 2015 are lumped together because of the evolution of my costume) and 2016.  The first couple years I ran the race it was an 8k, then in 2014 and 2015 it was strictly a 5k (that went right past the the Capitol building so you could see the Congressional Christmas Tree!)  In 2016 and 2017, it offered both a 5k (3.1 miles) and a 15k (9.3 miles.)  In 2016 I ran the 15k, so this year I decided to run the 5k.

If you've run either the Cherry Blossom 5k or 10 Miler, the 15k course will look pretty familiar.  (The 5ks are fairly different, where the Jingle goes around the Tidal Basin, and the Cherry Blossom goes up to the Kennedy Center and then heads back.)

The night before I went through my small box of Christmas themed clothing and picked out a sweatshirt, tights and my usual running skirt that I made for the 2015 race.  I also grabbed a some base layers along with a small stocking that has a clasp I sewed in to carry my usual pre-race picky bar and slipped it onto my spibelt.

Race day was a breeze because my Dad took advantage of early packet pickup, so he got our hats and bibs at the Pacers Running Store close to him.  So the only other issue (besides the potential government shutdown since the race starts and ends on Federal land) was getting to the race.  For years Metro opened early enough on weekends that a 9am (or even 8am) gun time was a non-issue.  Then once the transportation system started a major overhaul they opted to open later on the weekends to allow more time for maintenance.  ANYWAYS!  I ended up buying us a guaranteed parking space through Spot Hero (click here to get $7 off your first parking reservation of $8 or more!  Full disclosure:  I also get $7 when you use my referral code.)   It made race morning super easy because I reserved parking in a nearby garage so it was one less thing on my mind.  It was even an easy drive over, so I wasn't missing the Metro at all.

After a short walk, we arrived at the National Mall and made a quick trip to the portajohns (no lines!) and headed to the starting area.  (We arrived a little later than I usually like to, but it was just a 5k.  After running a marathon, running a 5k feels totally different.)  Before I knew it, I was queuing up my Christmas running playlist and we headed off around the Tidal Basin.

As expected with Pacers races, it was another great race that was pretty uneventful.  There was one water stop at about the halfway point.  The race organizers even put a course marshal right by one of the small bridges and had them warn runners that it was icy from the previous day's snow.

Once I crossed the finish line, I got in line for a space blanket, water, a super cute snowman medal, banana, granola bar and some peppermint donut holes from Sugar Shack.  (The donut holes were awesome--peppermint powdered sugar on a lovely yeasty donut.)

Final race of the year done! Wasn’t a PR, but still a decent time (33:08 according to my garmin) and just what I needed for the stress I’ve been feeling the last week or so. Despite yesterday’s snow the roads were in great shape (except for the one small bridge) and my feet were nice and warm in my #balegablisterresist socks 😁 . . #sweatpink #sweatpinkambassador #nuunlife #jinglealltheway5k #runpacers #christmasrace #nuunlife #teamzensah #balegabestsocksever #balegaimpi

A post shared by The Thrifty Runner (@thethriftyrunner) on Dec 10, 2017 at 7:22am PST

This shouldn't come as a huge surprise, but once again I would highly recommend doing this race again.  The course is great for out of towners or those new to the area since even when they change the venue, it's scenic with all the familiar monuments within walking distance.  Everyone from runners to volunteers are in a great mood and wearing fun outfits and it really is fun going all out.  I don't usually wear elaborate outfits for a race, but when I do, it's for the Jingle.  In fact, I'm already working on my costume for this year's race on December 9th.

Thrifty Thursday for December!

It's that time again--Thrifty Thursday!  More great finds this month, although there were some misses on some of my trips out.

Love the asymmetrical slits in the back of these capris! 
Athleta Ananda Capris:  Originally $69, paid $7!

I hate the cold so the more layers the better!  And as an added bonus, the fabric is treated with silver salts so it doesn't hold onto odors, similar to Balega's Silver Socks. 
Athleta Twist Half Zip:  Originally $89, paid $6

I love Athleta's Relay Capris.  The design is super simple, and the thick bands at the bottom of the legs fit perfectly over my big calves.  I have these capris in a few colors, and they don't show sweat either!  

Athleta Relay Capris:  Originally $69, paid $9

I pretty much wear tank tops year round since I have a treadmill at home.  When I came across this, the fabric felt amazing--a nice weight and a pretty pattern that looks like flowers all over it!  Then I noticed the Lululemon logo on the back and well...I had to buy it!  

Lululemon Cool Racerback in Moody Mirage:  Originally $42, paid $4.

'Tis the season for cheesy Christmas movies!  And this one is no exception.  This is an episode of the New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh cartoon series from the 90s where everybody writes a letter for Santa.  Piglet then realizes that Pooh never asked for anything, so they find the letter and start asking for a lot of presents for Pooh and everybody else.  When Pooh and Piglet try to send the letter off again, it ends up back at Pooh's house so Pooh takes it upon himself to take it to the North Pole. 
Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too on VHS:  Originally $12.99, paid 50 cents!

So another year is coming to a close!  Any more races for anybody?  Any great thrifting finds?  I've found a few good ones that will make for good gifts, so I can't show those off just yet but they'll make an appearance in next month's Thrifty Thursday post!

Thrifty Thursday for August!

This month's edition of Thrifty Thursday might as well be called "The Organization Edition" since I totally lucked out!  Organizational products like plastic drawers and shelves for under the sink can get really expensive, really quick.  However if you're patient enough, you'll luck out and find exactly what you want/need to help keep everything organized!

Like a lot of people, I have all kinds of bottles cluttering underneath my sink.  This little shelf is amazing.  It's basically a drawer that's tall enough for bottles and then you can keep more bottles on top.  I wasn't able to find the exact item, but I found something pretty close that was $24.99 at the Container Store.  I paid $3. 

My office is undergoing some reorganization.  (The fun kind.)  We're purging a lot and reorganizing what we have so it's easier to find.  I found these little drawers and jumped on them since they're the perfect size for pens, highlighters and boxes of staples and paper clips. 

Sterilite 5-drawer mini organizer:  Originally $8.77, paid $2.

ORGANIZE ALL THE THINGS!!!  

This one was perfect for pads of paper and some of the random large envelopes we have.  

Sterilite 3-drawer Organizer:  Originally $24.99, paid $4.

Being the crazy cat lady that I am, I got really excited when I saw this big, white plastic thing.  I had looked at it online recently and knew what it was right away.  It's a cat toy!!!  It's basically a way to encourage cats to work to get treats.  And I totally looked like a crazy cat lady when I tried to explain what it is to the cashier.  It took a little bit of motivation for the fish bowls on the far right, but I hardly had to train him how to use any parts of this since he uses his paws a lot.  (He's a lefty!)

Trixie 5 in 1 Activity Center:  Originally $24.99, paid $3

In the late 90s/early 2000s, Disney made a lot of sequels to movies that didn't really need them and let's be honest...they were generally terrible.  Case in point:  The Little Mermaid 2, Return of Jafar, 101 Dalmatians 2, Pocahontas 2, Atlantis 2, etc.  The only ones that I found worth watching and owning were the Lion King sequels (2 and 1.5 which focused on Timon and Pumbaa's backstories) and Lilo and Stitch 2.  Okay.  And this one.  Beauty and the Beast:  The Enchanted Christmas.  It's so gloriously cheesy that I absolutely love it.  For 99 cents, I could not pass this up!!!  Tim Curry plays the villain of this movie who was the castle's composer named Forte who was turned into a pipe organ and is trying to ruin the Christmas celebration that Belle is organizing.  (And Paul Reubens plays a character that is tricked by Forte into doing some bad things with the promise of getting a solo in Forte's next composition.)  

Originally $22.99, paid 99 cents

I know it doesn't look like it, but I'm super picky about running clothes that I get when I go out thrifting.  If it's a long sleeved top, it must have thumbholes and a pocket.  Doesn't sound like much, but you would be surprised!  I came across this and jumped on it, especially since it has a turtleneck and venting at the mouth.  

UA Qualifier Turtle Neck:  Originally $64.00, paid $7.

Like I said.  Picky.  I found these Athleta pants in my exact size (which is hard since I usually wear one of their specialty sizes thanks to the shorter inseam.)  And once I found out they were from my favorite line of pants (Bettona) I was super excited.  Stretchy, almost sweatpant like pants that I can wear to work and still look a little dressy?  YES, PLEASE!!

Athleta Bettona Classic Pants:  Originally $79, paid $5.

Anybody have any good finds while thrift shopping recently?  Or training for fall races?  (I'm SO ready for the cooler weather!)

2016 Jingle All the Way 15k Race Review (or Why I Need an Actual Pre-Race Checklist on Paper...)

This was my 5th year participating in the Jingle All the Way race.  The first two years I ran it, it was an 8k, the next two years a 5k and this year they added a new distance:  A 15k!  I basically knew right away I had to do it since I've done all the different distances so far.  Take note:  Fifth year.  For five years I've been packing up everything for my race and afterwards in an overnight bag to stay the night at my parents in Virginia, then take the Metro into DC with my Dad and run the race with him.  Third time I've done it this year alone.  You'd think I'd have my packing down to a science at this point.  Nope.

I started out a couple days before putting out what I thought I would wear--a white loose turtleneck with little snowflakes, a red sweatshirt with a glitter, snowflakes and a pixelated snowman, running tights and a couple options for Christmasy leggings over them.  I also grabbed my Christmasy Bondi Band and a pair of socks.  Then the day we left I grabbed a post-race outfit, some pajamas, bathroom necessities and some of my usual race items.  (My Garmin, Spibelt, earphones and Road ID.)  I was so glad to be ready and confident that I had everything I needed, including the most important part (the packet) since my Dad picked it up at the Pacers store in Alexandria.

Love the logo for this year's shirt, but not the color.  (I HATE white running shirts since they're completely see through so you need to wear a shirt underneath.)

Then it all started going downhill once we were actually at my parents.  I realized I totally forgot my usual breakfast of a picky bar or luna bar.  I forgot chews (not necessary, but nice to have on hand.)  Thankfully since I've given my Dad packs of various chews that was an easy fix, and since he eats Clif bars all the time I grabbed one of his and threw it with my running gear.  Crisis number 1 averted!

After that my family went out to dinner for a belated birthday dinner for my Dad along with some carb loading for the next morning.  (I had a big bowl of bucatini with pancetta and chicken and for dessert some nutella pizza!)  Sufficiently stuffed I put out my clothing and gear for the morning and slept fairly well that night.

The next morning after my usual morning routine I started to put my tights on then I started to look for my sports bra.  I flipped through all my clothes, shook them out to be sure I didn't stuff it in anything and checked my bag and it hit me:  I forgot to pack a sports bra.  At first I thought that I would just run in the support tank that I slept in.  With a couple layers over it, it would be no big deal.  Then it hit me:  Both of my parents have had knee surgeries.  Therefore they probably have ace bandages.  I checked their supply and hit the jackpot!  They had one that was 6 inches wide that I went ahead and grabbed.  I then wrapped it around my chest until everything felt secure and put the tank top on over the top.  It didn't feel like enough so I took a 4 inch one and wrapped it as much as I could around the support portion on the tank top.  I flipped the rest of the top down and ran a couple strides in place and it felt good!  I continued getting ready to go (realized I had also forgotten my heart rate strap) and soon my Dad and I were out the door and on the first Metro train out of the station for the day.  Throughout the train ride I questioned my sanity to be running a 15k wearing an ace bandage and nerves were definitely settling in.

Once we arrived everything was setup very similar to the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler.  The start and finish were right by the Washington Monument and all the tents and portajohns were set in the same open area next to the monument (although on a much smaller scale.)  We ended up getting our space blankets pre-race because we were so cold waiting for the race to start.  The organizers ended up actually pushing back the start time for both races by 10 minutes because the lines for packet pickup were so long.  They even left the starting line open a little extra longer to allow everybody in the 5k a chance to get started.  But that gave me a little extra time to get some pre-race pictures!

I couldn't believe it!  Blooms on the cherry blossom trees!

And of course an obligatory picture of the Washington Monument.  

Soon we were lined up for our race and we got to watch the elites finish the 5k and we got a quick peek at the medals!!

After my Dad and I settled into our corral we saw some of the elite athletes finish and they seemed to be running both races!  We saw a couple of them switch their bibs out from the 5k to the 15k while we were standing around.  Just before the second race started they worked their way to the front pretty easily since the starting and finishing areas were side by side and just separated by a partition held up by traffic cones.  Watching them helped me forget about being nervous for the race.  (My mini crises definitely did not help my usual pre-race anxiety.)  As we walked towards the starting line I folded up my space blanket and shoved it underneath the strap of my spibelt.

The race itself was great.  The course was VERY similar to the Cherry Blossom 10 miler, minus crossing the Arlington Memorial Bridge.  It was also a lot less crowded sooner in the race which was REALLY nice.  This race had 3 water stops (it would have been nice to have had one more) and one official bathroom stop (there were a couple of places along Hains Point that were available.)  I thought it was really fun to get to run the course again with all the leaves off the trees since in my mind it made Hains Point a LOT more interesting!  (For example, I had no idea you could see Old Town Alexandria and the Wilson Bridge from there!)

Part of the course went around the Tidal Basin so we got great looks at the Jefferson Memorial.

Towards the end as I was about to hit the 9 mile mark, I started to see a familiar figure in a white cap and red jacket about to cross under a small bridge (there was one point where you had to out and back, then over a bridge so you don't cross paths with other runners.)  Once I confirmed it was my Dad, I ran to the opposite side of the bridge and onto the sidewalk out of everybody's way and started looking for my Dad.  Once I saw him I started jumping up and down and yelling "YAY DAD!  YOU'RE DOING GREAT!!!"  At this point he had about two miles to go, so I kept going that last little bit and the slight downhill towards the finish was lovely.  After getting my super cute medal and water, I went over to the food tent and I was absolutely shocked by what I saw--people were walking away with entire boxes of Curate bars and trays of big blueberry muffins.  I acted quickly and grabbed a mostly empty box of Curate bars, a couple of bananas and a couple of muffins and situated them in the box and headed back to the finishing area to eat my snacks and watch for my Dad.  Once I had finished my muffin while stretching I saw him cross the finish line and get his medal I brought him water and offered him the extra snacks.  (By that time everything was gone!  He had finished a little later than a lot of people, but it's kind of irritating that they weren't going to have anything for anybody who finished with more than 15 minutes left on the clock.)

Anyways, as my Dad and I were leaving he suggested we walk over to the L'Enfant Plaza Metro station to avoid having to change trains.  Since the sun was starting to peek through (and I was still feeling good) I agreed.  But before leaving the area we walked over to a small hill and took a few last pictures of the Washington Monument and the new Museum of African American History.

And of course one last selfie with my medal in front of the Washington Monument.

The old course would go right in front of the Capitol building so you could get a great look at the Christmas tree in front.  This is the closest we got to it this time around.  (We were definitely starting to feel cold so I was ready for the warmth of the train.)

Overall I really enjoyed the race.  It was very competitive but not crowded and a lot of fun to run a familiar course during a different time of year.  However, I would recommend taking on the 5k if you run slower than a 13:00 pace if post-race snacks are important to you.  (Or do like my Dad and I did and have the faster person grab snacks for the group after the race.)  

And don't worry.  I've written that pre-race packing list.  

Have you run your last race for the year?  I'm already starting to look forward to next spring!  My first race will be the Rock n Roll Half Marathon in DC.  

Celtic Solstice 5 Miler Race Recap or How I Learned that Yes, You CAN Oversell a Race!

I really wanted to like this race.  Honestly, I did.  When I found one of the premiums from 2013 that I had seen from various area running events and when I found one while out thrifting, I KNEW I had to do this race.  (I don't like wearing running swag from races I haven't actually run.)  

Front of the 2013 pullover

Back of the 2013 pullover

A closeup of the 2013 logo

I heard from many people that it's a fantastic race and they were sorry to miss out on it for whatever reason.  I may sound like a curmudgeon, a Scrooge, even.  I love Christmas races, but this one was WAY oversold and because of that this may be one of the few races I'm not sure I would consider running again.

The packet pickup was fairly easy.  It was held in the basement at the Falls Road Running Store in Baltimore.  It is probably the smallest running store I have ever been in, and people brought their small children with them.  So in addition to trying to squeeze through already fairly tight quarters to get to packet pickup, you had to dodge small children running around.  I grabbed my premium, my bib, and the extra jacket from last year's race that I bought for $20.  I was SO excited because the premium for the race was so pretty.  I love the color and the pattern on the back.  That alone made the $70 race fee worth it in my mind.  (The premium retails for about that much too!)  And although I went to the early packet pickup, they did not include the actual timing chip for the race itself--that had to be picked up on race morning.

The front of the 2015 pullover

The 2015 race pullover!  It's a Brooks Dash 1/2 zip.

Front of 2014 jacket

Back of the 2014 jacket

Closeup of the 2014 logo

I kept a close eye on the weather which had been beautiful all week.  (I even ran in a tank top and shorts comfortably on the day I picked up my packet!)  But as luck would have it, a cold front came in the day before the race so it was below freezing and windy on race morning.  

I also kept an eye out for the multiple emails from the race organizer.  Rather than having a website or a Facebook page, the organizer sent out multiple, verbose emails throughout the week.  They made it known that you should plan on getting there early since parking fills up quickly.  (And it did shortly after my husband and I got there at 7:25am for the 8:30am gun time.)  

We then followed the crowds and made our way to the starting area.  After a portajohn stop, I saw how crowded the tent was and sighed.  It was like trying to get through a crowded metro train after a Redskins game lets out:  Next to impossible and completely frustrating.  But after paying attention to the emails, I knew I had no choice because I had to get the timing chip for my shoe.  Which naturally, was in the furthest corner of the tent and getting through the crowd took and was incredibly difficult because people were trying to put on their bibs, get their premium and the put the timing chip on their shoe.  Somehow after getting the chip I found a space open enough that I could bend down and put the chip on.  Then the next order of business was to find some of Zeke's coffee.  After having to brave the crowds, we decided not to go back into the tents and drank our coffee outside then I made my way to the starting area in front of Stieff Silver.

About 15 minutes later they started the mini-parade of the Irish Wolfhounds, bagpiper and the people who have done the race every year since it started (signified by their single digit bib numbers.)  

Soon after the mini-parade, we were off.  The course starts out uphill for about the first quarter mile.  It can be steep to some, but it was manageable.  The hills for this race are definitely rolling until the very end when you go back down that first hill.  (They keep it this way since winter weather can be very unpredictable and this race is always held even if it snows.)  It was a very pretty course since it goes through Druid Hill Park and around Druid Lake.  However, it can also be VERY narrow at times.  

(Warning:  Here's where I start ranting!)

I've been in races where you have maybe a car lane width to pass through for a short period of time.  This one though squeezed down to less than that at times.  And with nearly 3,000 runners (2,711 finishers to be exact) it gets VERY tight at times.  I lost count of how many times I nearly got hit in the face, tripped over people or got boxed in by people running at a slower pace than me or simply walking.  Like I said before, I've heard wonderful things about this race and obviously many other people have too.  But there is such a thing as having too many runners, and this race obviously did.  The organizers began to sell out of race premiums in early November, and in my mind that is when they should've started cutting off registrations.  After they ran out of the race premiums, they allowed people to keep registering for $40 until race morning and you would have the option to buy the previous year's jacket and whatever was still left from this year's race.  I understand that race organizers want as many people as possible to be able to run a race--but there is also a benefit to saying "no" to people after a certain point.  There were just simply too many people for the size of the course.

(End of rant.)

The post-race food was awesome--perfectly ripe bananas, water, coffee, wassail and an incredible spread of cookies.  I grabbed one of each kind and almost all of them were gone by the time I made it back out of the tent.  I also stopped by the Brooks booth and grabbed a free lip balm on my way out.

All of that being said:  Would I run this race again?  Maybe, but with reservations.  The premium was fantastic and is something I know I'll wear often since it's lightweight and I love this year's logo for the race.  (The logo changes almost every year, and occasionally they bring back old ones.)  Despite the crowding on the course, I still had a decent time (according to my Garmin it was 54:01, pace of 10:31) and my pace was about 30 seconds faster than on my 5 mile training run the previous weekend.  It was very frustrating to have to dodge so many people on the course itself, so if I were to run this race again I would make it a point to run just to the side of it to have fewer people to go around (although at some points this can be difficult.)  I think I also have to go in with the mentality that going through the tent will be like going through the mosh pit at a popular concert.  If I like the design of the logo enough, I will definitely consider it.  But I will definitely not drag my husband along.  (He runs occasionally but not often and we made a deal after he skipped coming to the Jingle All the Way 5k that he had to come to this one.)

Have you run this race?  What are your thoughts on it?  I'm open to discussion about it.  What are your thoughts on races only allowing so many people run it?  Is there such a thing as too many runners?

Jingle All the Way 5k Race Recap and building a Christmas race costume...

 This is now the 4th year in a row I've run the Jingle All the Way (first 8k, now 5k) in DC.  Last year they shortened the race to a 5k that goes past Congress, which has its own Christmas tree.  (It makes the race seem more festive IMHO, but they did it because of construction.)   

Since the second time I ran it in 2013 I've been slowly adding to my costume.  The first year I didn't wear anything Christmasy because I didn't know any better and I was still new to racing.  The second year I added some ribbon hair clips and jingle bells to my bib.  

The third year (last year) I had started on my costume before Thanksgiving, and this is what I ended up coming up with in the end.

My Dad and I pre-race.  I was super excited, as always.

I had a sparkly Santa hat, a light up Christmas light necklace, a skirt I had made with little candy canes and peppermint swirls all over it, knee socks and a turtleneck with snowflakes all over it.  It was pretty tame compared to a lot of the other costumes, but I was super proud of it. 

This is the fabric I used for my skirt.  I even got fancy with the hemline!

 I entered the costume contest and had to go up against somebody who had made a Christmas tree costume made out of the egg crate padding and spraypainted green.  

I had no hope winning against them. 
Yes, they ran the race in the costume AND won the costume contest.

After that happened I was determined to make next year's costume bigger, better and more...everything!  This year I started planning everything a week before Thanksgiving and took pictures of various ideas, watched videos from other Christmas races and Christmas movies, and looked at store bought costumes and ornaments.  This year, I'm even more proud of myself.  For those of you who don't know, my name is Holly.  Christmas is kind of my thing.  It's the one time of year I can totally play up my name and it's somewhat socially acceptable.  
I started by buying some Christmas leggings in July.  I saw them while out thrifting for $2 and had to buy them even though they weren't the best fitting.  They were Christmas.  They were loud.  SOLD!
Next came the ornaments.  I saw stocking ornaments at World Market for $2.50 each.  It then occurred to me that I could probably find something similar while out thrift shopping.  Yup.  Paid 45 cents for two of them.  Done.
After that?  The lights.  With the stockings on my running belt to hold the battery packs and entirely too many safety pins to help attach the wiring I made sure they wouldn't fall off during the race.  A little too much?  Maybe.  But in this race, if you feel like you're out of your comfort zone then you are on the right track for a great costume.
Now to just add a few more bells to last year's skirt, in addition to everything from years past...and here's what I came up with!

I was FULL of the Christmas spirit!  Leggings, skirt with bells, belt with stockings, bells, ornaments and lights, wristbands with bells, bells on my shoes and sparkly santa hat, lights on my jacket and a Christmasy bondi band!

And this is how the whole thing looked when I actually put it on...

I was a little excited!

Overall I had a lot of fun putting the costume together, but I would do a few things different.  For one, I would put one or both battery packs in the small pocket in my leggings.  The stockings were a good idea, but no amount of pinning would keep it from bouncing.  They worked well for holding onto my phone though!  It made it SO much easier to take pictures.  I'd also use heavier thread for sewing the bells onto my skirt.  (I made it home with only 1 of the 4 I had sewn on...oops.)

That being said, the race this morning was a lot of fun.  My Dad and I took the Metro to the Federal Triangle stop and got there about 45 minutes before the gun went off.   We used that time to explore a little bit and check out everybody's costumes.

There were almost 4,500 runners and lots of them were in costume!

About 15 minutes before the gun was scheduled to go off, they told everybody to make their way to the corrals on Pennsylvania Avenue.  My Dad and I made our way to the 10:00-10:59 corral, and I made last minute adjustments to my costume, made sure my Garmin was ready to go and started my Christmas running playlist.
The course itself was pretty scenic and easy to follow because of all the signs and volunteers directing runners.

You run past the Newseum, the Canadian Embassy, the Air and Space Museum, the Old Post Office Pavilion, the Washington Monument...

and the United States Capital Building and the Congressional Christmas tree...

And finishing back where you started: Freedom Plaza.  The area in itself is surrounded by a couple of famous landmarks (the Warner theater and National theater.)  Afterwards it was a little difficult to find water bottles since they were to the left and I veered right when I finished.  The volunteers also seemed to have trouble keeping up with the demand for water as well since they seemed pretty frazzled.  

Overall, I would most likely do this race again.  The race was exactly as I expected, it was pretty well organized, I loved the course, and I had a lot of fun making my costume and seeing everyone's creativity with their own costumes.   I think my favorite this year were the 7 swans a swimming.

Seven swans a swimming!  They have inner tubes!!!

The race did have some hiccups, but nothing totally unusual--people walking/running 3+ people across, walking in the middle of the course, and a high demand for post-race refreshments made it a little difficult to access.  For a lot of people this was their first race, so it's understandable that not everybody knew basic race etiquette.  And naturally afterwards everybody's thinking about food and water, and after cooling off a hot drink was lovely.  (They had apple cider and coffee.)  I would suggest though larger cups for the hot drinks since they only offered dixie cups for them and possibly hot chocolate.  (I like to add a little bit to coffee when cream or milk and sugar aren't available or easily accessible.)

More Race Catch Up!

Jingle All the Way 8k 2013
This was the last year (so far) of the 8k (or 5ish miles) since the next year they switched to a 5k thanks to construction in DC.  This race was great despite me being in the middle of physical therapy for my IT band syndrome, I still PR'd.  I remember this was the year it was snowing for the race, which was TOTALLY appropriate for a Christmas race where costumes were encouraged.  I took a more conservative route with the costume.  I had bells on my bib and a gift ribbon hair clip attached to my hat.  Despite it being SO cold (and the precip not helping that) I was totally psyched to be running a Christmas race in the snow.  Case in point...

Cherry Blossom 10 Miler 2014

I loved this race.  It fit in well with my training for the Nike Women's Half Marathon in DC, and followed a similar course.  (For me, running part of the course beforehand helps with pre-race jitters.)  It was a perfect day weather-wise for the race.  I remember there was great crowd support and it was fun getting a different look at a lot of the monuments I hadn't seen during other races yet, like the Jefferson Memorial and fantastic views of the Washington Monument.  I loved the portion around Hains Point, but be forewarned:  It does get a little cramped because the race is HUGE despite there being a lottery for it for entry.

The lottery for this race is in early December, but you can get a guaranteed entry if you volunteer for the previous year's race.  

Bunnypalooza 10k

This is a race that I still am not sure how it came together.  It's a race in Bethany Beach, DE during Easter weekend that is put on by the Quiet Resorts Charitable Foundation to help raise money for the community.  I registered my husband and I for the race within days of it opening in January and I always make it a point to ask if shirts are gendered if the website or registration does not specify it.  I asked, and they said it would be unisex.  Great!  I registered us and we made arrangements to have a place to stay right on the beach and it was going to be a great weekend.  The day of packet pickup, I was thankful we arrived there early because all of a sudden they had shirts donated and were gendered and there were not enough to go around.  (I was surprised when the shirt size I ordered actually ended up fitting because they wouldn't allow for exchanges and were actually rude about it.)  Okay, one fairly minor crisis averted.  Then just after finishing the race, they ran out of medals and had to use leftovers from the previous year for finishers!  (Granted, there weren't any years printed on the medals so it was also no big deal.  But I do a lot of races for the bling involved.)  

The course itself was kind of boring because it was the 5k course twice, but it was nice to run it once then enjoy the view the second time.  It was totally flat and I PR'd on it and still haven't gotten anything close to it.  I don't know if I would do it again though.  It was nice to run in a race in an area that I had grown up in but never run, but with the minor crises that kept coming up it felt like it wasn't worth the special trip.