Seattle Resolution 5K Run and Polar Bear Plunge (1/1/18).

FIRST RUN OF THE YEAR
I’ve been welcoming the New Year at the New Year’s Resolution 5K Run since celebrating the fizzle of the computer world’s Y2K threats in 2000 and the Polar Bear Plunge part ever since it was added in 2004.  

PLUNGE PART NOT COLD
Unlike the cold-turkey running down the beach to the ocean or jumping in the lake, the 5K Resolution Run is a nice warm-up before taking a jog down a concrete boat ramp into Lake Washington about 200 yards from the finish.  It’s like a Finnish sauna keeps the skin warm for a few seconds after jumping into the icy creek we used to do a little south of erika-land.

Not everyone is so fine with it though.  While awaiting my arrival to join in on the spectacle, DW reported the delighted crowed cheering as one runner’s canine companion dug in and refused to go in the 43o lake.  They changed to boo’s when the runner unceremoniously picked up the frightened animal and carried him into the lake too.
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Fortunately, since it’s Seattle, air temps have never been below freezing, usually the same mid-forties as thet lake.  This year was one of the colder ones: air - 37o / water - 43o.  However, with no wind at all at the 10:30am start, the sun was noticeably warm and singlets, shirtless, etc were in abundance.
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WOMEN+
With the finish line and heated changing tents just down the beach, nobody ever really gets cold.  As a result 733 of the 1057 entrants included the plunge in their runs.  Women were the majority in both the run and the run-w/plunge.
category . . . . . . women. . . . . men
run only . . . . . . . . . 195. . . . . 129
run/plunge . . . . . . . 393. . . . . 340
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GOODIES
No of the knit hats or gloves being given away as in the past but there was so much hot chili with chopped onion and cheese mix condiments that they were giving out take home portions for happy runners.  In addition, they were handing out Seahawk logo ICE beverages in abundance (after the football team’s elimination from this year’s playoffs).  
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Not so in abundance, however, were porta-potties that didn’t get delivered on New Year’s Eve, causing the event coordinator to urge “discretion” on the part of the many ducking into the trees. No body complained, though, about no finisher’s medal to add to burgeoning collections and the polar bear shirt is a keeper..

NEW PW
Compared to 28:16 in 2008 (age 65), and 34:45 last year, this year’s 37:52 was a new negative PB. However, being able to run all the way at any distance for the first time since stomach issues with some errant innards cropped up in November 2016 (and were misdiagnosed for nearly the next year until October 2017), it could not have been a more auspicious running start to 2018.

Time: 37:52
OA - 521/733
Sex - 267/340
AG - 3/5.

Note: youngest of 733 plungers were 8-yo and, if a surely erroneous 98-yo running in my 70-and-above AG is discounted, oldest was 78.

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26.2 miles in Japanese wooden geta.

•  26.2 miles in Japanese wooden geta.

At 30^o at start, coldest 26.2 miles since the coldest one at the 20^o start of Econo’s Redemption Run at the 2005 Christmas Marathon and only went up to 27^o.  Got up to 37^o today but brisk winds made it seem colder.  Lots of neoprene face masks.

When too cold or rocky running for bare feet, I usually wear straw waraji sandals so was happy this time to get out the wooden geta I’ve worn for a dozen or so marathons over in Japan but not over here.  Wool, split-toe tabi socks were warm and toasty.  After walking the year’s first marathon last month (Seattle Marathon) without any stomach issues that got fixed up in October, was able to test-run the middle miles today without incident, Yippee.

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