Chicago Hot Chocolate Race + Weekly Workouts

Good morning! I meant to post this update yesterday, but the day got away from me and I needed to finish up a few hours of work before the start of a new week. This weekend went by too quickly - we ordered a new oven + microwave {so excited}, I tried a few new recipes, we spent time with friends, and I finished the Hot Chocolate 5k race on Sunday morning.

In 2014, I posted a 15k Training Plan before the Hot Chocolate race in November {15k race recap here}. I ran the 5k this year, again with my friend S and her dad. The weather was much warmer than the 2014 race, which we appreciated. It was great fun! The race began in Grant Park and we ran on Lower Wacker drive for the first mile. The 15k and 5k runners ran together for the first ~2.6 miles or so, and the 15k kept running south while the 5k runners turned back to Grant Park to finish. It was a gorgeous day - not a cloud in the sky.

The Chicago Hot Chocolate race is absolutely huge - over 20,000 people finished the 5k. Despite all of those runners, the race this year was very well organized. Runners were placed in one of two corrals, in different letters of the alphabet. Each letter corral started in three minute intervals. The streets were still packed while running, but the three minute intervals helped spread people out.

Race Results
Time: 31:06
Pace: 10:01/mile
Overall place: 4,232 out of 23,051
Age group place: 308 out of 2,448

I also met up with my cousin and her nursing friends, and my friend from college after the race. We finished the morning with brunch at Howells and Hood. All in all, a good day!

Lastly, my workouts for the past week. On Thursday I posted about the Nike Get Out Here Contest and a November Fitness Challenge. Nike is challenging athletes to "Get Out Here" this winter as the weather cools down and we are tempted to hibernate indoors instead of move our bodies outside as we do the rest of the year. I'm also challenging myself to "Get Out Here" with five workouts per week in November, outdoors as much as I can.

Over the past week, I didn't finish five workouts as I had hoped. Work was crazy busy and it was hard to squeeze in the time. I hope to make up for it this week, with four runs and one cardio class. 

My workout recap since November 1:
Sunday, 11/1: Ran 5 miles
Tuesday, 11/3: 1 hour Nike workout, with strength + outdoor track
Thursday, 11/5: 45 minute cardio barre class; ran 2 miles
Sunday, 11/8: Hot Chocolate 5k race

How are your workouts going in November?