This post has been a long time coming.  The race was actually Thanksgiving weekend, but I just haven’t had a chance to tell you about it.

I really wanted to do a Christmas themed run this year.  After looking into the ones that were available I decided on the Hot Buttered Run.  It sound fun and Christmasey and there was Hot Buttered Rum at the end.  What could be better.

The race offered two distances; a 5K and a 12k (7.28 miles).  I picked the 12k race.  The course was mostly flat and wound through downtown Vancouver, WA and through Fort Vancouver.  This also put us in the industrial district for a couple of miles, which wouldn’t have been bad except the smell coming from one of the plants.  It was either tires or asphalt, think burning rubber.  Not the best thing to inhale while running.

12k course

Because of the distance and the small town, we had to run by the starting park twice.  Around mile 3 we run by the park, but that is ok, because the race just started and I was expecting to double back.  But then at the end, close to the 7 mile point we run along the park and you think you are going to take a left turn at the corner and cross the finish line.  WRONG!  You keep going, granted it is only about a 1/4 mile, but mentally it throws you.  The course took us down another block before turning left to come around the other side and up to cross the finish line.

close up of mile 3 & 7

The day was beautiful and cold.  I mean cold.  OK, it wasn’t below zero or in the single digits but it was cold.  However the sun was shining and there were parts of the run that I actually felt warm.

I-5 bridge and Fort Vancouver

Running through the fort with the sun on my face was glorious.  In fact it was so great I stopped to take a picture, which paused the Map My Run app and I lost about 3/10 of a mile.  Which means my split records are not really accurate.  My times were about ten and a half-minute miles to eleven and a half-minute miles.

there was ice under the leaves on the path

There were less than 500 finishers with over 300 of them females.  I wanted my time to be under 90 minutes, and it was.  So I am happy about that.  I averaged an 11:18 min/mile officially running 1:25:50.  I am hoping that next year I will finish closer to an hour.  There was a few slippery spots of ice where it was better to walk than run and I stopped to take a few pictures.  I also took a walking break to have some Gu for refueling.

View at mile 6

Then as soon as I was done I started to freeze! Did I mention how cold it was?

Of course I made a shirt to wear for the race, but I had to put my coat back on, which covered it up, as soon as I was finished!

The other reason I picked this race was because of the Kids Kandy Kane Race and the fact that Santa would be there.  Ian has been talking about doing a race with me and I figured this would be a fun one for him to do.

There was two divisions of kids races.  One was a fun run, for the kids under the age of 8, and was supposed to be a distance they could reasonably finish.  There was two waves, the first one was for kids ages 3-6 and running with a parent, the second was 7-8 with no parents.  So if  you had to run with a parent you went first.  The second kids race was a 1k (.62 miles) for kids older than 5 and could run without parents.  The other benefit of this race is they had a kid zone, a secure area where the kids could play while parents raced.  The thought was, Ian would go to the kid zone, I would run.  I would come get him, see Santa and do his race.

The kid zone had one of those bounce house things in it, and was under a covered area, with only one wall, and no patio heaters.

Did I mention how cold it was?

The poor kids had to hang out in freezing weather while we ran.  I really felt bad at the end of my race.  Sure he had gloves, layers of clothes and a hat, but only one pair of socks.  Which would have been fine, but he had to take his shoes off to go in the bounce house.  (after we did his race he told me his feet hurt because they were laughing so hard)  The kid zone had hot chocolate and snacks, and he didn’t complain, I just wish I was faster.  I kept running and tried to run faster because I wanted to get Ian out of the kid zone as fast as I could.

The line for the rum tent was so long, Ian couldn’t come in with me and I didn’t want to leave him in the play area any longer….so I didn’t get my Hot Buttered Rum.  But that’s okay, I got to hang with Ian until his race started.  He decided he didn’t want to go see Santa just yet.

The kids races couldn’t start until all the other runners crossed the finish line.  Then they packed us all back into the starting gate and organized us by waves while Santa walked around talking to the kids.  

For our wave, the first wave, they told us to just run around the park, which ended up being 0.45 miles.  The actual course was supposed to cut through the park, giving a 0.34 mile course.  But all the kids made it around the park, including Ian and me.

When the kids crossed the finish line they were handed a medal from either Santa himself or an elf.

Ian with his new medal and a super runny nose

Seriously, that made it all worth it.  Ian had a great time, loved his swag and loved the fact that he got a medal from Santa Claus.  Since the race area was at a park, there was a playground.  We went and played on the playground for a little bit then went to Starbucks for more hot chocolate and a cake pop & cookie for Ian.

However we talked about his next race happening when it is warmer.

I do plan on doing this race again next year and hopefully Ian will too.  Although we might figure something else out, like having someone with us to hang with Ian, or bring him before it is his time to race.

Our shirts

Ian’s Swag from the race

Just. Keep. Running.

C25K interval information can be found here

Want to find out what races I’ll be doing next year?  Check out my list.