Race Recap hot chocolate 15k/5k tampa fl 12/16/18

Race Recap: Hot Chocolate 15k/5k Tampa, FL 12/16/18

12/18/2018

The starting line

Sunday 12/16/18 was the third Hot Chocolate 15k/5k in Tampa, FL. I ran the 5k this year again just like last year. I love this race not only because of the hot chocolate theme, but because of the overall vibe of it. It just feels happy and fun.
I ran the Bulow Trail Half Marathon last weekend; since then I have really taken it easy with the mileage. I wasn't sure how I would run so I didn't have any time expectations or any goals. I knew no matter what it would just be a fun time.

The Expo/Hotel
I checked into one of the host hotels then walked to the expo. The hotel was literally right across from the convention center where the expo was being held. They even had a walkway connector so I didn't have to cross the street. The expo was small but had some good stuff. I picked up my bib and shirt then stopped over by the Nuun station to stock up on some tablets.

Pre-Race
Another great thing about my hotel was that I had a view of the starting line so I could see when everyone was lining up. The 5k started at 7:00am while the 15k was after us at 7:45. We had two corrals A and B for the 5k. I walked on over to the line and was able to move up towards the front since I knew that overall awards were based on gun times. They made their Make a Wish Foundation presentation/National Anthem singing then we were on our way!

The starting line view from the hotel room

The expo

The Race
I got off to a really good start. It was not too fast and not too slow just perfect. I felt so good about this race. My first mile was pretty fast but I still felt in control of my pace. The timing clocks at each mile marker really help. The course along the bay is just so beautiful and seeing it around the time of the sunrise makes it even more magical. After the turnaround I felt good still. The weird part was there was no one around me for most of the race probably the final two miles. Everyone ahead of me was way ahead of me and I didn't notice anyone behind me. That doesn't bother me I always try to run my own race.

I felt a little out of shape around the last mile (as usual) but I just tried to keep it going. I knew at this point I could have a decent finishing time. I was a little surprised to see my finish time at 20:04 since that is my second fastest ever, and I definitely wasn't sure how it would go. So yeah I'm pretty happy with that.

This was my last race of 2018 and it's bittersweet. I know I failed to meet most goals of the year, but I have improved my 5k times for over a minute from this time last year, realized I love longer distances, and found the right training plan. I am going into a recovery period for about 6 weeks then jumping into ultra training for the Palm Bluff Ultra Trail Race 50k so I am looking forward to a great 2019.

City views

After Party
The after party at this even is one of a kind. We all get to enjoy our hot chocolate goodies in our finisher mugs. An extra touch this year was the photo op at this big clock that the volunteers could type in your bib number and pull up your finishing time, so you could get a nice picture with your specific finishing time. I noticed a lot of small improvements since last year. If you're considering a Hot Chocolate Race, you should really go for it. I signed up for next year's race with the early bird rate and am pretty excited!