Resolution Run and 5k with a Polar Dive

Happy New Year! I can't hardly believe it but New Years has come and gone! For New Year's Eve Anthony and I went downtown Seattle and celebrated the New Year at the Space Needle! How exciting is that?!?! We were able to watch the amazing firework display from directly under the Space Needle. It was completely amazing!

This year I realized I am not so much into resolutions but more into goals. The goals that I have for 2015 are ones that I have been working on for months already and didn't just decide to do the week of New Year's. Yes, my goals are in the traditional "fitness" fields but they are things that I have been planning for months now. I started off my new year with a 5k Resolution Run and Polar Bear dive at Magnuson Park in Seattle, WA hosted by Promotion Events. The same company that has hosted the last several races that I have run. 

It was below freezing the morning of the race but it was a beautiful clear day. The event was hosted in a great open space, much different than previous events. There was lots of room for venders and event check in to spread out and allow racers to breathe. It was completely different than any of the other races that I have run with Promotion Events, in a very good way. 

The race course was a bit difficult. I wish I had known before hand that is was part trail, it would be muddy, icy, etc. I didn't have the proper shoes on for this race. I got to run in slush puddles and have drenched icy feet. But it was ok in the end, I wore shoes that I knew would be ok to get soaked with diving into the lake at the end of the race. 

The race was very full and the start took quite a while to taper and thin out. It was impossible to try and spread up at all and if you were stuck behind someone that was it. But it was ok too because this race in my mind was definition of a fun run. It to me, was just an excellent way to start off the new year and do something that I had never done before!

So at the end of the race, right at mile 3, you can split off and decide to take the big plunge or to on your merry way dry. I decided to do the dive of course! It has been on my bucket list for a few years now and I was finally able to do it for the first time on New Year's Day! I took the plunge in Lake Washington this year and it really wasn't bad at all. The water was about 15 degrees warmer than the air was! I felt completely fine after the dive, the only "rough" part was running into the finish because of all the water build up from the runners slowly turning into ice on the road into the finish. I had to slowly walk into the finish to keep from slipping. But I didn't mind, despite all of the people traffic, ice and mud on the course I still came in right on my normal 5k time 31 minutes or so. I can't complain, and that's with my dive time in there!

It was such a great experience! I loved it all and in the end the things that I would normally complain about (ice, mud, full disclosure, etc) I couldn't care less. It was a great day!

www.promotionevents.com for more events hosted by them year round!

www.spaceneedle.com for dinner reservations and tourist information.

http://www.promotionevents.com/ResoRun/default.htm for the Resolution Run 5k and Polar Dive information!

http://www.seattle.gov/parks/magnuson/ for more information about Magnuson Park, Seattle, WA.

Thank you so much for reading! I hope that you had a wonderful New Year!

Keep on Running!