After deciding it was too beautiful of a day to work all day, I spent the afternoon with the family at Soak City (Cedar Point’s waterpark). It was a really fun day and just taking a few hours off work made it feel like a whole day off! If you have the chance to do that sort of thing, I highly recommend it. It’s good for the soul 😉
We made it back home in time for a fun race that was being put on by the Toledo Roadrunners and the Toledo Metroparks… two of my favorite groups! The race theme was centered around the full moon. It’s a series called Under the Moon. It’s a 5K through the metropark in the dark. The race starts at 9:30pm. Yep, the very dark, dark!
We did one of these races last year, but this year’s race has really grown in size! I was a bit overwhelmed by the amount of people that were there. Not just runners, but a lot of families and walkers too. No one wanted to miss the beautiful night!
As the sun went down, everyone was lit up with glow sticks, flashlights and headlamps. I paired up with Sydney who was in charge of the headlamp. She also was potentially going to “race it” if she was “feeling good”… so I brought along a spare flashlight just in case she left dear old Mom in the dust. Not that that has ever happened before (hahaha, yeah right).
Alan and Zachary paired up. With Alan’s super bright headlamp, he lit the way for MANY runners on the course along the way.
We made the mistake of lining up near the middle of the pack when the race started. It was so crowded at the start, we ended up walking and getting a 10:52 for our first mile. As it started thinning out, we picked up the pace some – as much as could be done in the dark with lots of runners around – to 9:27. We finished with our last mile at 9:13. Oh, and I sprinted in at 6:27 pace to get my time just under 30 mins. I saw the clock tick off 29:59 when I crossed! We weren’t really racing, but you just gotta push it at the end, especially if you see that time on the clock!
There were lots of drinks and snacks at the finish. The kids appreciated the cookie selection, which I think was their big draw to run this race again (based on last year’s treats). We all sucked down the water because it was actually quite hot out there, even though it felt cool afterwards. I highly recommend a night run like this, and we will definitely be running this race again!
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Q: Have you ever run a night race?
Q: Preferred after race fuel – bananas or cookies?
They had both, but I have to admit I was drawn to the cookies too!!
Q: Are you still enjoying the summer heat, or ready for it to be over already??
I am so DONE with this heat and humidity! AC has run non-stop for the last few days and it still doesn’t seem cool enough. Biking and running are just miserable in this weather. I know I shouldn’t whine about the heat because the cold will be here soon enough but I would sure appreciate some moderation.
The last few mornings have been pretty decent around here, so I’ve been thankful for that. I tend to think of air conditioning as a necessary evil – I don’t like it much, being stuck in an office where I freeze all day, but my hot sweaty car doesn’t feel much better! Maybe we’ll get a long Fall season this year. Fingers crossed!
The only pro with the heat & humidity is that I can go for a run and lose 4-5 pounds in 90 minutes! And that is about the only pro, definitely will be glad to run in cooler temps this fall.
Awww what a fun activity for the family! I did a night time 5K last year and it was a lot of fun. Well, sort of. I used it as part of what I think was a 15 miler? I can’t remember exactly, but the mileage was definitely up there and the 5K was a way for me to get in the final few miles and try out a fast finish!
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I wish I would have gotten a picture of everyone waiting at the race. The glow was really cool! I still don’t know how we didn’t trip and fall. It was so dark!
That sounds like such a fun race! I laughed about Sydney potentially leaving you in her dust- I do remember that time it happened as it was quite amusing 😉 you guys are making me crave summer, it is still winter here (obviously not snowing but still cold!)
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