Atlanta Christmas 5k

I apologize for the silence but Bo and I have been having a blast back in Georgia!

We landed in Atlanta on Friday evening and since then have been going non-stop, squeezing in as much time with friends and family as possible!

One of our weekend highlights was running the Atlanta Christmas 5k! The race, which ran through Virginia Highland was the perfect way to kick off our Christmas vacation back in the United States. We were able to enjoy a fast 5k through one of our favorite Atlanta neighborhoods and catch up with college friends who were also running the race.

The race atmosphere was so much fun! There were lots of hilarious holiday running outfits ranging from holiday themed tights to people decked out in tacky Christmas sweaters including one woman who had blinking Christmas tree lights on front and back! The humans weren’t the only ones who got into the spirit though. There were TONS of dogs running the race decked out in bells and sweaters.

A small, fun holiday race, capped at 1500 people,  each participant received a Santa hat when they picked up their bib! Unfortunately my ponytail didn’t allow me to wear the hat but it was such a fun detail!

The course, though flatter than last years, was filled with lots of turns and hills through the Virginia Highland neighborhood.

Bo and I ran together the entire race, doing our best to balance pushing the speed with climbing up each of the hills. It was a very different experience versus our European races as we were in the middle of the pack the entire time, rarely passed by other people. We had a great time chatting and looking at the gorgeous homes and hilarious outfits in between feeling the burn in our legs as we climbed the hills.

At one point, as we passed the two mile marker, I began to question our pace as my body was hitting that point of pain that I rarely feel. I knew the pain was only temporary an as it showed up at the two mile point, I only had another 10 or so minutes to push through before the finish line. As we were running Garmin free we agreed to run as quickly as possible though we’d pull back if Bo’s knee or leg started to give him pain.

As it turns out, our effort was worth it! This was a new 5k PR for me of a 27:04 or 8:44 pace. As I know I have faster in me, especially on a flatter course, I’m already excited for 2015!

Did you run a Jingle Jog or holiday race? What was the best outfit you saw on the course?