Race Report: Reindeer Run 5K. Pictures of baby animals! And a sort of PR.

My antlers were free. I guess so were the reindeer's.

I'm a sucker for (most) gimmicky or themed races. Especially ones that aren't oversold (Hot Chocolate 15K I'm looking at you) and ones that benefit charity.

I was able to talk my BFF Genevieve into signing up for the Reindeer Run 5K, benefiting a local YMCA, and held at Brookfield Zoo. Actually it was really easy to talk her into it because there was a Kids Dash, and the $30 5K race fee included admission to the zoo (and parking), so she signed up her 5-year-old daughter Jolynn as well.

Unfortunately, her other little one was sick all night, so instead of her whole family coming, and spectating while she ran the 5K, she ended up coming alone with her 5-year-old for the Kids Dash and skipped the 5K. Kind of a bummer, but at least she was still able to come (and the two of us are signed up for a 5K later this month).

Those are soccer socks from 1996

It was raining before the race, but luckily stopped right before race time, and only drizzled on us a little bit during the race. My goal going into the race was to P.R. (beat 25:59).

The first mile marker was after a turn, and as I approached it, the official clock next to it was in the low 6:10s. Um, yeah. I knew I started off fast but not that fast.

Eventually my Garmin beeped and said I did the first mile in 7:30. Which is still really fast for me! Mile two (per my Garmin) was 8:09.

Mile three never happened because I finished, stopped my Garmin and:

(5K = 3.1 miles for the zero non-runners who read my blog.) I asked some of my Monday night friends who were also at the race, and they also had 2.89 on their Garmins. And there is no way I shaved over 3 minutes off my 5K P.R. in one month. Right?

Had it been a full 5K, it still would have been a P.R. - the pace was 30 seconds faster than my current 5K P.R. pace! From one month ago! Either way, it was good enough for second in my age group (F20-29). I'm not sure how many runners there were total. It wasn't a huge race. (Why do I always admit that? I'M SUPER FAST, GUYS.)

I'm signed up for two 5K races (12/31 and 1/15) so hopefully those are the correct distance and I can actually P.R. for real.

After the 5K was the Kids Dash. I expected more red and green. (The race shirts were blue ... why?)

Jolynn is in the red pants

Nice beard, hipster

And then we stayed to look at animals.

Because I truly am my mother's daughter

Orangutans

Oh. Not only is it the second most popular dog's name, now this.

After awhile looking at primates gets mildly creepy. Just me?

Penguins!!!

I could keep one as a pet, right? It wasn't that cold in their habitat.
Plus it's an excuse for an indoor pool.

Because no post is truly complete without a picture of my cat.
For the record this was not taken at the zoo.

Reindeer Run 5K
Officially: 22:43, Pace: 7:20 (had it been 3.1 miles)
Overall: 44 / 293
F20-29: 2 / 19


Don't forget: Give me $5 and I might just give you a FuelBelt. (Raising money for the American Cancer Society. Raffle info here.)