I want to stuff some chocolate in my face (Hot Chocolate Recap)

Before I go any further I just want to say I did it!!! I have reached my Run The Year goal of 2022 miles 2036.63 (2046.57 as of last check) to be exact!!!

Moving on… so Hot Chocolate is an event I’ve always heard about but never embraced. In past years it was 5k/15k (with all the official signage saying as much) however this year they added a 10k which is a sweet spot and so that’s what I signed up for.

Bib pickup was the day before and as you entered the convention center the main hall had a partition making it a much smaller space than Gasparilla. When you entered there was a station to pick up your bibs. Than in the center of the room was a hot chocolate booth

I don’t know if it was samples or for pay and since I didn’t have money on me I didn’t walk over to ask. There were a few vendors as well as official merchandise & photo areas

There was also areas for legacy runners (participants of 3,5, or 10 consecutive years) and shirts. Since I purchased with a promo code I got extra swag including a cooler, hat, candy bar & hot chocolate packets

Finally it was the actual race morning. My ootd was black & pink livi leggings, 2021 W&D shirt and while my flat me shoes my stranger things waffles & Christmas lights bondi band it was unfortunately left in the car

I was dropped off at 658 AM and could hear the national anthem in the distance since the 5K was to start at 7 while the 10k/15k was not till 745

The weather on my walk towards the convention center was 56 feels like 54 and I was shivering wishing I brought a jacket or at least dug out a hand warmer bag from my closet.

I arrived at the Franklin entrance of the convention center just as the first 5K wave was going off and since there were still a lot of people mulling about, I decided to use the restroom. It was there I noticed the above mentioned forgotten head band.

Leaving the lobby I began to follow the start shoot via sidewalk till I got to the finishers party area. As I walked I noticed coral markers saying A-E “no walkers”… okay 1) I was seeded in I and 2) I swear the wording on the event page said walk or run or at least invited all skill levels. I really didn’t want this event to be full of the same red flags as Foam Glow so I took myself out of my head for a moment and headed into the convention center from the channelside entrance instead thinking as throngs of people were entering, perhaps they were holding the other groups inside. 

They were not but I did take a picture of the Christmas tree.

I headed back out around 710 and overheard a last call for 5K before watching signs be replaced with letters F-I (no walkers)

I didn’t want to be the first person waiting so I looked at the merchandise booth to see if maybe they had headbands (all they had was a gaiter but that would be too bulky) 

I contemplated running to the car but I didn’t know how far away my ride ended up parking or if they decided to do errands so I lingered. At least with it being the week before Christmas the only Mariah Carey coming from the DJ was Fantasy.

I headed back into the lobby for a second restroom try cause it was cold and to double knot my laces.

I took a pic of a tree in the water

And at 730 I looked at the staging area where the only people in the coral were a 14 mm pacer and a sweeper which sent me into my head again. Even after seeing a 15mm pacer I thought that if I were to consistently go at that pace I’d be beating my present PR run set at 2018’s W&D by OVER 12 minutes.

I stuck to the front of I for a buffer, the 13mm pacer was at the back of H

At 749 I was ready to start

The 14mm pacer caught up with me just after crossing over the Platt Bridge grates. They were in a walk interval so I stuck behind that wall of people and tried to follow when they switched into a run… that didn’t work.

As my fitbit stated I reached a mile the 15mm group passed

I reached mile marker 1 with my fitbit saying I was 1.06 with an elapsed time of 15:17 and pace of 14’24

At 1.39 I reached my first aid station where I grabbed the gatorade first and it repeated on me a bit, also grabbed a water and a cup of chocolate candy melts which I dumped in my pocket

Pocket chocolate FTW

What is not for the win was that at 1.51 the sweeper passed me causing me to start to freak out a bit. Even at Disney the couple of times the balloon ladies passed me or were close by I finished. Also around this time my phone was starting to play its games of pausing or skipping music or having hey siri pop up. Thankfully the latter didn’t pause my fitbit like it’s done on occasion.

At 1.71 there was a directional sign which said 10k/15k straight 5k turn

I never saw a 2 mile marker and wasn’t screenshotting every time my fitbit told me I crossed a mile threshold but at 2.67 a club car (golf cart) passed and I was sure I was getting pulled at the next mile…

I reached mile mark 3 with my fitbit saying I was 3.09 with an elapsed time of 47:51 and pace of 15’27…

Okay I was already over my 5K PR set during Sun and Run 2019 but I passed by my favorite piece of art which if you have seen my backlogged Gasparilla posts you will know what I’m talking about

And hit up the 5K marker with my fitbit saying I was 3.19 with an elapsed time of 49:23 and a 15’28 pace (Official Split Pace for the 5K was 49:29 15’56 pace)

And the best part was I WAS NOT SWEPT!!!!

I reached another aid station at 3.22 this time I paid attention and JUST grabbed a water. This stop also had M&Ms (more pocket chocolate) and marshmallows. I grabbed both but one marshmallow fell into the trash when I tossed my water cup and the other fell out of my mouth.

At 3.36 I reached another fork saying 15K forward and 10K turn around

 

On the official results there is a split interval labeled CHEATER and the timetable fits that it came from this spot even though I was signed up for and running the 10K and NOT the 15K so I wasn’t cutting the course where I wasn’t previously being directed to do so… anyway this was 53:01 and a 16’04 pace

At 3.55 we had another aid station where I took more water and a cup with marshmallows to make up for the ones I dropped. I didn’t take more pocket M&Ms

I passed the color statue again and soon at 3.64 I saw the official pace car heading down the side of the road following two women who looked to have the blue 15K bibs vs the Orange 10K… IDK if they went the whole 9.3 miles or not but what I do know is that I looked up and saw the 9:30 pace group pass me…. By the time I eventually finished the course the 10, 10:30, and 11 minute mile groups will of also passed making me think the pacers I passed early on were for the 15K not the 10K

At 4.07 I passed by Mile Marker 7…if I had one plus up I’d want to make to this event it would be to put color coded mile markers up for each distance even if there are multiple markers up at the same point. Anyway I assume this was roughly the official fourth mile for me. At 5.1 miles I passed mile marker 8 and the same…probably officially mile 5…

I finally found the missing mile marker 2 at 5.3 which was the marker from the earlier 5K

At 5.36 I reached the final aid station where I took more water and more chocolate melts for my pocket

At 6.09 I reached mile marker 9 with roughly three minutes to go until I reached the point of 10K PR

I crossed the finish at 6.4 miles and a time of 1:44:03 unofficially 1:43:59 officially which was ONE MINUTE AND SEVEN SECONDS too slow. If I didn’t have the audio issues or the anxiety there is a good chance I could have beat myself.

Post race after picking up your medal you could redeem a coupon on your bib for your finishers mug. The mug was a bowl/tray with a cup of cocoa, marshmallows, hot dipping chocolate, a banana, graham crackers, rice crispy treats, shortbread cookies and a few other goodies.

Will I do this race again… it’s a definite possibility. I did get a “lowest price of the season” code to register now for next December. That's good for a few weeks so it’s something to think about. If I did 

Since December isn’t over yet I don’t have a marathon a month tally just yet and as I said I’ve completed my 2022 Run The Year

Most Magical Virtual

Miles 108.17

Where in the World

 

This random road

  

Upcoming races:

1/18: castaway cay 5k fun run (potentially)

2/25: Gasparilla 15K

2/26: Gasparilla 8K

¾: Promise Run 5k

4/14: Springtime Surprise 5K

4/15: Springtime Surprise 10K

4/16: Springtime Surprise 10 Miler

Race PRs

1M {15:26} 3K {30:59} 5K {42.46} 8K {1:13:59} 10K {1:42:52} 15K {2:19:09} HALF {3:54:55} FULL {7:08:15*} *virtual full run in increments