Race Recaps: Baby, it's cold outside

Reality check...

Call me a masochist (okay, many of you have), but winter is my favorite running season. The crisp air, the quiet solitude of Central Park, frolicking through freshly fallen snow... cue romanticized daydream of NYC winter.  Whatever. Even the latest snowpocalpyse and ensuing infrastructure melt down hasn't dampened my winter adoration. After months of training in the heat and humidity, the cold is a welcome relief. So it was with great excitement that I launched into the winter running with two races - the Joe Kleinerman 10K and the Ted Corbit 15K. Did the races live up to my internal hype? Errr, not quite. For those uninterested in detailed recaps, here's the bottom line: end result was one PR and one DNF. Win some, lose some?

The winter racing season kicked off with the NYRR Joe Kleinerman 10K the first weekend of December.  After my dismal performance at July's 10K, I was looking forward to cashing in my marathon training for a better time. And thankfully this time around I wasn't contending with humidity and a hangover...  The course was one full lap around the outermost perimeter of Central Park, which unfortunately includes the Harlem hill, my least favorite section of the park. Oh, and it was about 20 degrees outside. And yet, these minor details just made the race more fun. Yay masochism.

Smirky McSmirkyson

After starting off a bit too fast (wheee downhill), I settled into a comfortable pace once the Harlem hill checked my ass. Thankfully, the hills didn't hurt as much as I expected and the race flew past, a fun blur of santa hats, spandex, and snow flurries. And guess what? All that training paid off with a nice PR. Granted I've only run one other 10K and it was one of the more miserable races I've completed; this is irrelevant. A PR is a PR. Final time 55:31, a pace of 8:57.

Unfortunately, despite my auspicious return to racing, the Ted Corbit 15K could not have gone worse if I'd tried. I was SO good the night before the race - delicious good luck tacos from Cascabel (nom nom nom), minimal alcohol, and early bedtime. None of which mattered when I was hit with a delightful case of all out INSOMNIA. Wonderful.  By the time Kim and I arrived at the 102nd Street transverse for the start of the race, I was a hot mess. No sleep and a lingering bout of plague do not make for ideal running conditions. Despite the obviousness of these facts, I decided to soldier on and run the 15K - just a little early morning stroll in the park, right? False. After four miles of dizziness and vomitousness, I threw in the towel and claimed my first (and hopefully last) DNF badge. Not gonna lie - definitely one of my more disappointing running experiences, especially considering how great I've been feeling in the past month and a half since the marathon. Le sigh, c'est la vie?

Let's up this little running analogy into a life question - what does it take for you to call it quits when gunning down a goal? Do you man the eff up and suck up unforeseen circumstances or are there times when you just gotta fold?

Up next: lots of gear reviews, including the Garmin Forerunner 100 (my new baby) and Mizuno's Wave Elixir, winter racing plans, cake recipes, a new training schedule, and the ubiquitous 2010 "best of"/reflection post.

Happy running (and holidays)!