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Race Result

Racer: Amanda Shuman
Race: Rudolph's Red Nose 10k
Date: Saturday, December 11, 2004
Location: Fairfax, VA
Race Type: Run - 10 km
Age Group: Female 20 - 24
Time: 0:48:16
Age Group Place: 8 / 83
Comment: Icky day, ok run/ 5k the next day?!



Race Report:



28/255 for women
--------

It's almost the holidays!!! Every year the same thing happens. The holidays come so fast, I eat like 10000000 cookies, and I run in the Rudolph's 10k. Luckily, I'm not deathly ill like last year (knock on wood), when I did the 10k with tissues in both hands and coughing most the way. (Not a great way to cure the flu, might I add, for those of you thinking about doing something crazy like that.)

This year, on the other hand, I felt great. The weather was not good, rainy and nasty the morning of, but I blame it on my dad. Every race we've ever done together we've had semi-crappy or really crappy weather (either rain or it's ungodly cold, or sometimes we're super duper lucky and we get both, like in the duathlon!).

So, I know a lot of people who do this race and it's my third year. I run the course regularly with a group of people I spin then run with Saturday mornings when it's too fricking cold to bike outside.

At the start, along with Santa and Rudolph was Congressman Davis (who ran it!), I ran into another local celebrity, Chap Petersen, who was standing next to me. Chap deserves a special mention here. Not only is he a pretty awesome runner (he did it in 50 minutes, does 5ks in 24 minutes or so) but he also took me as his staffer for the day to the Tech-UVa game in b'burg in November, where we had President's box seats (50 yard line, indoors and heated, catered lunch while we watched and sat with other big wigs). So I wished him luck and he wished me luck and asked what pace I'd be doing. He told me I'd probably pass him since he has a tendency to go out too fast. He was right :)

There are lots of hills on this course, but I know where they all are. Nearly the entire second mile is one long hill (Pickett Road-> LTF Fairfax). I decided to be smart, ran the first mile pretty fast then slowed and took the hill easy, not overdoing it. At the half way mark or so I ran along side another friend from the gym and chatted a little. Left him behind as I made my way by Starbucks and back into the park. Finished still feeling ok, despite sprinting the last half mile. Got the prize at the end, the red nose they give you every year :)

Best thing about this race is probably the food at the end. If you're looking for a race that has the good stuff, this is it. The race is held by the New School of NOVA and they have the parent teacher association do the food -- at least 12 different kinds of HOME MADE COOKIES at the finish (ginger snaps, chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, cranberry oatmeal, scones, etc etc). They also give you hot chocolate and cider and have a bonfire. Saw more people from the gym chowing down. Went inside and they had FREE MASSAGES. The line was still short, got my legs done!!!!!

So, all in all, it was a ton of fun. I snagged about 8 more cookies to take home but my brother ate them before I could get to them >=O

(I also did the RR Fall into winter 5k the next day... that's whole other report I'll do after the results are posted -- I want to show my girls on the run team results, they did AWESOME!! Our team picked up 4 awards!)

~Amanda