Hot Chocolate 15k Philadelphia

Race Report

Disclaimer: I received free entry to the Hot Chocolate Philadelphia 15k as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!I figured rather than starting the week with a training update, I'd just give a brief overview of last week's training then jump right into my recap from the Hot Chocolate 15k in Philly this past weekend!Monday - RestTuesday - 2mi/3' x 4 - Awesome run, legs felt really good. Interval pace was 7:30-7:25Wednesday - 5mi Recovery Run - 56:32 at an 11:18 paceThursday - RestFriday - 2k-3k Easy (ended up running out of time rushing around before expo)Saturday - Race Day!Sunday - RestSo let's get into the exciting part, the race itself! Here's a quick race preview I shot for last week's "Friday Five" before heading down to Philly

Training

As far as training is concerned, it was relatively relaxed since I was coming off of Rock 'n' Roll DC. I was sick the week following the race so for the remaining 3 weeks I worked with my coach to work on recovery with a bit of speed work mixed in as well. You can follow my training updates for full breakdowns of the last few weeks.

The Crew

I've been looking forward to this race for months and was especially excited about the crew we put together. My wife and my mom both joined me in Philly for the weekend but my wife and I also convinced a couple of our friends from NY to make the trip down. This was their first race ever so we were really excited to introduce them to the sport at such a cool event.

The Expo

Really, the only difficulty I had preparing for the Hot Chocolate race was navigating the hours that the expo was open. The expo was only open until 6 pm on Friday which definitely made it difficult for me traveling from out of town. Hot Chocolate does offer to mail race packets in advance but I enjoy visiting the expo in person to walk through all the various vendors.I only wish the expo could have been open for another hour or so to ease some of the anxiety. I was pretty tense rushing down from NY as traffic started picking up around the city. Luckily I made it in time and actually was VERY impressed with how efficient the expo was run. I was picking up packets for our whole crew and was able to secure everyone's gear in just a few minutes.I also love the race sweatshirts they gave to the participants. I mentioned it in my preview but in person, they were even better than expected. The material is so soft and comfortable and I didn't know they came with THUMBHOLES! I've basically been wearing it since the race ended

The Race

The only stress the morning of the race was trying to find parking only because we were staying across the river from the starting line and quickly learned that the closes bridge was one long roundabout that led to several dead ends before rerouting us right back to our house. Luckily because of the staggered start time, I was able to drop off all of our 5k runners while I went to find parking.Once I found a spot, I ran a partial warmup back to the starting line just in time to snag a photo with some fellow BibRave Pros and to see all my friends start the race. Another benefit of the staggered start times was that I was able to check my gear, see my friends finish, and get another quick warmup in just in time for my race to start. The starting area was very well organized and super easy to navigate considering how many people were there. I was especially impressed with the short port-a-potty lines, that NEVER happens!

Pace Strategy

You may have seen my post last week about my pacing strategy but I struggled a bit figuring out exactly how to run this race. This was my first 15k and the distance is just odd enough that I wasn't sure how fast to start or what pace I could hope to maintain. Basically, my plan broke down as follows:Mile 1: Just under 7:30Miles 2-7: Look for 7:20 or belowMiles 8-9.3: Hold between 7:00- 7:10

The Course

Miles 1-2

It was actually harder than I thought to find my pace starting the race. I was dealing with the typical congestion at the starting line and kept zoning out and following the crowd. I'd started towards the back of my corral and kept catching myself slowing down with some of the other runners around me.It took some time but as I finished up the first mile I started to find my zone. I focussed on my breathing and effort level to keep myself running even. I had been a little nervous at the start with how variable my pace was but as it steadied I really got into a groove.

Miles 3-5

Starting the third mile my confidence started building. I was holding a solid pace and 7 miles didn't seem like that far to go, especially since my last race was the full marathon. I still caught myself slowing down just slightly a few times but for the most part, I was able to stay consistent.I also started gradually picking up at this point. My last hard training run was 8-miles worth of speed work so I knew what pace I could maintain. Once I was through the first 4 miles I was feeling really good and felt even more confident about pushing the pace a bit harder.

Miles 6-9

Hitting the turnaround and knowing I only had about 5k to go I was feeling great. I just ran a 5k at around a 7:00 pace so my goal was to not necessarily hit that pace but to find that effort level. I figured I'd be a bit slower since I'd already run a 10k but I also knew that I was comfortable maintaining that perceived effort for the remainder of the race.Each mile that went by I was gaining speed. It was also great getting to pass by and high-five my mom on the out-and-back course. My legs still felt strong and I was actually able to get pretty close to a 7:00 pace in the final few miles.

The Finish

Since I've run a few races along this same course in the past, I knew I'd be finishing the race on a slight uphill. I was still cruising along at this point and summoned as much energy as I could to continue pushing harder through the finish. It was great having a crew of friends and a few BibRave Pros at the finish as well cheering me on. It was the exact boost I needed for that final dash!I'd set a goal to finish in 1:10 and I ended up finishing in 1:08:02 at a 7:19 pace!

Finish Line Festival

Then came the moment I was waiting for... the chocolate. First came the chocolate medal which was just as awesome as I was expecting. I didn't stop to enjoy much of the on-course refreshments but the finish-line Nuun was exactly what I needed post-race. I came back several times to snag some more while we hung around the finish.Once I'd recovered a bit from the race I went over to the hot chocolate tent to receive my glorious post-race mug packed with hot chocolate, chocolate fondue, pretzels, honey stinger waffle, marshmallows, banana, and a Rice Krispie Treat! The chocolate was so good, I definitely could have stayed there eating all day.

What a Race

Overall, the Hot Chocolate race was an awesome experience and I'll definitely be looking to register for more in the future, I really like the 15k distance. Another awesome perk is that the race photos are free to download so I've got plenty of memories from my first 15k! Looking forward to the next one!

Race Reports, RunningApril 8, 2019