Hot Chocolate Philadelphia 2020
Hot Chocolate Philadelphiia
April 4, 2020
Disclaimer: I received free entry to Hot Chocolate Philadelphia 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've been so consumed by Bandera looming on the horizon that I've neglected to put much thought into other race opportunities and goals for 2020! I've had a few ideas I've been mulling over but now I've got another race officially in the books.2020 Hot Chocolate Philadelphia here I come! This is a race that's been in the back of my mind since I ran it in 2019 and I can't wait to be headed back again in 2020. This was my first 15k and I'm eager to give the distance another try.Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled with my performance this year, but I also feel like I didn't put as much time in as I could have into my pacing and strategy.
Last Year's Race
Last year, I took on Hot Chocolate Philly just about a month after my marathon. I mostly took the interim as an opportunity to recover and just maintain my fitness to roll right into Philadelphia.Having never run a 15k before, in my mind I kept comparing it more to something like a 10k which I realized early in the race was a big mistake. The 15k distance isn't quite short enough for a push like you can make during a 10k, but it's also not really long enough to give yourself a chance to ease in during the early miles.Overall, Hot Chocolate Philly 2019 was a learning experience but I still managed to pull off an awesome time. I'm definitely ready to return in 2020 to for a shot to really see how fast my legs can carry me.
This Year's Plan
As of right now, the only other race I have in 2020 will be the Bandera 100k although I'm considering a marathon in February. That gives me plenty of time to recover before Philly.Pacing wise, I want to go into this just like I would for a half marathon, at least while I'm training for the race. I kept thinking of the 15k as a "short-distance" which led to a tough mental state during the early miles. That's a mistake I won't make again.My goal is going to be to get in a solid warm-up so I can pretty much start the race just shy of goal-pace. I'll allow myself the first 5k to ease in before trying to speed up for the final 10k.
Why Hot Chocolate Philly
You may know already that I'm a huge fan of Philadelphia and I love running races there. Hell, I already wrote a whole post about it when preparing for a previous half marathon. It also has the benefit of being close to my home town so I can always squeeze in a quick visit with family.Last year's Hot Chocolate Philadelphia was also one of my favorite races of the year because my wife and I got to introduce a few friends to their first-ever race. I love taking runcations with friends and it's even more rewarding getting to see the excitement of the newcomers. I'm hopeful they'll be able to join us back in Philly this year!Lastly, there's obviously the CHOCOLATE! Not only do you get a sweet chocolate bar shaped medal (including a new 5k medal for 2020). But then there are the insane amounts of chocolate you can eat at the finish line.We took plenty of time relaxing at the post-race festival last year soaking up the sun and enjoying as much free chocolate as our stomachs could handle. This made for an interesting celebratory run up the Rocky steps but it was absolutely worth it.Can't wait to take it all on again in 2020! Use the code "BRHCPHILLY19"to get a free Hot Chocolate hat with your registration.