So, life after the mission is fun, because it’s like being reborn. You get to go through all sorts of firsts. First American hamburger eaten, first hot shower without worrying about heating cables blowing up, and recently, my first race. I haven’t run any races recently, because honestly, running in Utah still feels like having pins stuck through my lungs and my sides. Thanks altitude. But, my goal for this year is to run four half marathons, equaling the two full marathons usually run by my other male family members. Gotta keep up somehow, right? But, I needed to start small.
I remember two years ago, I saw advertisements for the Provo Frigid 5K and Penguin Plunge. I thought it could be fun, but kept putting off registering until it had passed, and I just thought, “Oh well.”
Fast forward to now. A few weeks ago, I got an email from Runtastic Events. They’re a running company, and they put on events like the Haunted Half, Frigid 5K, and Run of Remembrance. Basically, their runs are meant to help you celebrate certain holidays. I’ve done their Haunted Half, so I’m on their mailing list. Anyway, I decided that since I had missed out on the opportunity last time, I wouldn’t now. So, I signed up for the Frigid 5K, and the Penguin Plunge. Now, here’s my problem. I typically do runs here alone, because I’m discovering that it’s hard to find people who are casual runners like me. They either run marathons for fun, meaning that they run a heck of a lot faster than me, or they average one mile, and ask if I would walk the majority of a 5K with them. Plus, finding someone who wants to wake up early on a Saturday morning to run in the cold, and then jump into Utah Lake is a struggle. But, I’m not one to be deterred by going to things alone. In fact, sometimes I prefer it, because I can take the time that I want. I prefer going to the temple alone rather than with friends, because they always want to book it out of the Celestial Room, while I sit there for half an hour. I don’t like to feel pressure to go, go, go because it takes away the enjoyment of living in the moment. So, I signed up for the Frigid 5K.
Now, I had no idea what to expect. I didn’t know the course, and I had no idea how the Penguin Plunge would work afterwards. So, on Friday(the 25th), I headed to a fancy running store to pick up my race packet. It contained several ads for other runs further into the year, my race bib, a keychain, and a shirt. Really, I do the runs for the shirt. I love seeing the unique way that each run does their shirts. There wasn’t a media for this race, because it was pretty cheap and it is a small race, but that’s okay.
8:00am Saturday morning. I wake up, throw on my running gear, complete with my fanny pack, Jack Rabbit neck chute, and my “Wanna Race” headband, and head out with three bags of stuff. I had to pack a towel, and a complete change of super warm clothes for after the plunge. I knew that they had changing rooms there because no one wants to drive home in soaking wet, freezing lake water clothes. So, I had packed my fuzZEE boots, my Ecuador poncho, a t-shirt, and another pair of running pants. I must have looked really funny walking out of Heritage Halls with all my stuff, and my running bib pinned on, but this is what we do, baby.
The race takes place along the Utah Lake State Park path. Tbh, it was cold that morning. I was wearing running capris, and the bottoms of my legs were red because it was so cold. I had gloves and a jacket, but man, it was chilly! Of course, there were those legit people, who were running bare-chested, or a woman wearing a mermaid bikini, because they wanted to head straight into the Plunge after the race.
The course itself was actually really nice. It was super flat, which for Utah, is definitely a win. It was forested, which I always love, and thankfully, there wasn’t too much ice or snow on the path, so there was no fear of slipping and having to pull a Ninja move to stay on your feet. I stayed pretty steady throughout the race, and I wasn’t passed, or passing. Classic Hannah. Not too fast, not too slow. Of course, once you pull around to the point where you can see the finish line, you push yourself into warp speed, because the people who have been running around you the whole time need to see who’s Boss :) I love the end of the race, when the Terminator run comes out as you see the clock ticking up farther, and you just want to make it before it crosses into the next minute. I ended up finishing in 35:50, an average of 11:34 per mile, and coming in 27/45 in my age group. Overall, I finished in the first 50% of the race overall. As long as I’m not last, right? I have accepted the fact that I will never win a race, but as long as I’m not last, I’m a happy runner.
Then it was time for the Plunge. I headed back to my car to drop off my watch and phone, and to pick up my bags. I walked through the little visitors’ center building, to the dock where the plunge was taking place. Some of the pictures they had had on the website showed people jumping straight off the dock into the water, but that’s only when the lake isn’t frozen. This lake was definitely frozen. So, what they do, is they cut a large hole in the ice, place a net below, and have a ladder coming out on the other side. So, I look out, and there’s a line leading down to the hole, where people jump in one at a time. I took off my jacket and shoes, and grabbed my towel. I saw people heading down in bare feet, so I assumed that just being in my socks wouldn’t be a problem. It WAS a problem (It was for a BABY). Turns out, you walk down the dock, off the dock onto the frozen ice covered in snow, then have to walk across that for a while before it is finally your turn. So, everyone with bare feet(or socks) was in some major pain. You don’t realize how many nerves there are in your feet until you walk across ice and snow. At one point, I threw my caution to the wind, and used part of my towel under my feet to try and shield them somewhat from the nerve-killing ice. Who needs to dry off anyway?
I watched as other people jumped freely into the freezing cold water, and i noticed the photographer would sometimes not have time after taking the previous picture to take one of the next person. Well, it didn’t happen if there isn’t a picture. So, after reaching the edge of the hole, I waited just long enough to watch him reset, then I jumped. Granted, it wasn’t a very grateful leap, I’m afraid. I was just hoping that I wouldn’t slip as I was jumping and die. I’m starting to think that I always assume the worst. How odd. Anyway, let me tell you. The water actually wasn’t THAT cold. It was weird jumping and then feeling the net catch you and throw you back up. It felt like jumping into normal water, but maybe my brain was just in denial :) I climbed out, they put a space blanket around me, and I basically ran back to my towel to wrap around myself. Some people still hung around after jumping in, but I was OUT of there. My feet were dying inside. I wondered if I would ever feel my feet again. As I got back to the dock, I had to climb back up onto it, but I was a little concerned about the steadiness of my own legs. Thankfully, a kind, bearded man offered me his hand to get back up. Chivalry is not dead. By the time I got back up to my stuff, my legs were shaking from my feet being so cold.
I sat down at a picnic table, and wrapped my towel around my feet just long enough to warm them up a little. A woman passed me, and said, “Wow, that does not look like it was fun.” But to be totally honest, it actually was fun. I love new adventures, and even though it was cold, it’s one more thing I can cross off the bucket list. It was a crazy experience, and it was the first race since being back from my mission. I’m glad I got to end it with a splash!
I remember two years ago, I saw advertisements for the Provo Frigid 5K and Penguin Plunge. I thought it could be fun, but kept putting off registering until it had passed, and I just thought, “Oh well.”
Fast forward to now. A few weeks ago, I got an email from Runtastic Events. They’re a running company, and they put on events like the Haunted Half, Frigid 5K, and Run of Remembrance. Basically, their runs are meant to help you celebrate certain holidays. I’ve done their Haunted Half, so I’m on their mailing list. Anyway, I decided that since I had missed out on the opportunity last time, I wouldn’t now. So, I signed up for the Frigid 5K, and the Penguin Plunge. Now, here’s my problem. I typically do runs here alone, because I’m discovering that it’s hard to find people who are casual runners like me. They either run marathons for fun, meaning that they run a heck of a lot faster than me, or they average one mile, and ask if I would walk the majority of a 5K with them. Plus, finding someone who wants to wake up early on a Saturday morning to run in the cold, and then jump into Utah Lake is a struggle. But, I’m not one to be deterred by going to things alone. In fact, sometimes I prefer it, because I can take the time that I want. I prefer going to the temple alone rather than with friends, because they always want to book it out of the Celestial Room, while I sit there for half an hour. I don’t like to feel pressure to go, go, go because it takes away the enjoyment of living in the moment. So, I signed up for the Frigid 5K.
Now, I had no idea what to expect. I didn’t know the course, and I had no idea how the Penguin Plunge would work afterwards. So, on Friday(the 25th), I headed to a fancy running store to pick up my race packet. It contained several ads for other runs further into the year, my race bib, a keychain, and a shirt. Really, I do the runs for the shirt. I love seeing the unique way that each run does their shirts. There wasn’t a media for this race, because it was pretty cheap and it is a small race, but that’s okay.
8:00am Saturday morning. I wake up, throw on my running gear, complete with my fanny pack, Jack Rabbit neck chute, and my “Wanna Race” headband, and head out with three bags of stuff. I had to pack a towel, and a complete change of super warm clothes for after the plunge. I knew that they had changing rooms there because no one wants to drive home in soaking wet, freezing lake water clothes. So, I had packed my fuzZEE boots, my Ecuador poncho, a t-shirt, and another pair of running pants. I must have looked really funny walking out of Heritage Halls with all my stuff, and my running bib pinned on, but this is what we do, baby.
The race takes place along the Utah Lake State Park path. Tbh, it was cold that morning. I was wearing running capris, and the bottoms of my legs were red because it was so cold. I had gloves and a jacket, but man, it was chilly! Of course, there were those legit people, who were running bare-chested, or a woman wearing a mermaid bikini, because they wanted to head straight into the Plunge after the race.The course itself was actually really nice. It was super flat, which for Utah, is definitely a win. It was forested, which I always love, and thankfully, there wasn’t too much ice or snow on the path, so there was no fear of slipping and having to pull a Ninja move to stay on your feet. I stayed pretty steady throughout the race, and I wasn’t passed, or passing. Classic Hannah. Not too fast, not too slow. Of course, once you pull around to the point where you can see the finish line, you push yourself into warp speed, because the people who have been running around you the whole time need to see who’s Boss :) I love the end of the race, when the Terminator run comes out as you see the clock ticking up farther, and you just want to make it before it crosses into the next minute. I ended up finishing in 35:50, an average of 11:34 per mile, and coming in 27/45 in my age group. Overall, I finished in the first 50% of the race overall. As long as I’m not last, right? I have accepted the fact that I will never win a race, but as long as I’m not last, I’m a happy runner.
Then it was time for the Plunge. I headed back to my car to drop off my watch and phone, and to pick up my bags. I walked through the little visitors’ center building, to the dock where the plunge was taking place. Some of the pictures they had had on the website showed people jumping straight off the dock into the water, but that’s only when the lake isn’t frozen. This lake was definitely frozen. So, what they do, is they cut a large hole in the ice, place a net below, and have a ladder coming out on the other side. So, I look out, and there’s a line leading down to the hole, where people jump in one at a time. I took off my jacket and shoes, and grabbed my towel. I saw people heading down in bare feet, so I assumed that just being in my socks wouldn’t be a problem. It WAS a problem (It was for a BABY). Turns out, you walk down the dock, off the dock onto the frozen ice covered in snow, then have to walk across that for a while before it is finally your turn. So, everyone with bare feet(or socks) was in some major pain. You don’t realize how many nerves there are in your feet until you walk across ice and snow. At one point, I threw my caution to the wind, and used part of my towel under my feet to try and shield them somewhat from the nerve-killing ice. Who needs to dry off anyway?I watched as other people jumped freely into the freezing cold water, and i noticed the photographer would sometimes not have time after taking the previous picture to take one of the next person. Well, it didn’t happen if there isn’t a picture. So, after reaching the edge of the hole, I waited just long enough to watch him reset, then I jumped. Granted, it wasn’t a very grateful leap, I’m afraid. I was just hoping that I wouldn’t slip as I was jumping and die. I’m starting to think that I always assume the worst. How odd. Anyway, let me tell you. The water actually wasn’t THAT cold. It was weird jumping and then feeling the net catch you and throw you back up. It felt like jumping into normal water, but maybe my brain was just in denial :) I climbed out, they put a space blanket around me, and I basically ran back to my towel to wrap around myself. Some people still hung around after jumping in, but I was OUT of there. My feet were dying inside. I wondered if I would ever feel my feet again. As I got back to the dock, I had to climb back up onto it, but I was a little concerned about the steadiness of my own legs. Thankfully, a kind, bearded man offered me his hand to get back up. Chivalry is not dead. By the time I got back up to my stuff, my legs were shaking from my feet being so cold.
I sat down at a picnic table, and wrapped my towel around my feet just long enough to warm them up a little. A woman passed me, and said, “Wow, that does not look like it was fun.” But to be totally honest, it actually was fun. I love new adventures, and even though it was cold, it’s one more thing I can cross off the bucket list. It was a crazy experience, and it was the first race since being back from my mission. I’m glad I got to end it with a splash!
Comments
Post a Comment