Bruce, Will, and I ran the Toys for Tots Trot 5K today. Bruce, of course, is veteran companion for these races, but today was Will's first time out with us. It was pretty damn cold, especially since it was foggy, so I had a warm hat, running gloves, and a vest on. These made standing around before the race bearable, but proved to be a bit of a pain during the race; I still need to figure out my clothing strategy in these things.

I ran a respectable 27:08 by my time (I think the official was 27:17 or something) which works out to 8:29 miles on my clock and a bit more (like 8:45) on the official clock. I like mine better. If my Forerunner is to be believed, then I finally beat my 8:30 split target. However, my splits were a mess. I started out too fast at 8:14, had a bad second mile at 9:02, and then came home in 8:27 for the third (including a short walk to get my heart rate back under control). I finished strong at 7:13 pace for the last part. I had hoped to beat the Marine who ran the race in a flak jacket and carrying the Marine Corp standard; I passed him at one point, but during my short walk, he passed me and then ran a strong finish.

I did, however, beat Bruce, who normally beats me by a minute per mile. It would be more accurate to say that Bruce beat himself, deciding to do an extra loop around Seattle Center. The course was not well marked and the attendants were not always diligent, but I like to think I had better course management than Bruce. In the end it looks like he ran an extra .8 of a mile -- definitely significant.

Will did very well, finishing in the low 25's I think. I guess all that Salumi's didn't slow him down.

Of course, the most important part of our races is the brunch afterwards. Today we went to an old haunt of mine, Mae's Phinney Ridge Cafe. Per my tradition, I had huevos rancheros (with grits this time!) -- lovely.

(This is quite possibly the most unflattering photo ever taken of me.)