Disclaimer: I received an entry for the AllState Hot Chocolate 15k in exchange for my review 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!
Could it be?! Pineapple soft serve outside of Disney???
When I saw that the Hot Chocolate race series was going to be in Atlanta again this year, I called up my cousin Jen to see if she would be up for a visit. Once we got the details of my trip worked out I registered for the race, which would be my first event after the dopey challenge.
I didn’t know it when I registered, but it would wind up being my first outdoor run after the dopey challenge as well. Over the course of January I logged some miles, but they were all on the treadmill.
The race was scheduled for the first Sunday of February, so I planned to make a weekend out of it. On Friday after work Dennis drove me to the airport, and I had about a two hour flight from New York to Atlanta. Jen picked me up when I arrived, and after a quick tour of her new house, I headed to bed.
The plan for Saturday was for some city exploring, and to stop in at the race expo so that I could pick up my bib. Jen knows that I love a good theme, so she picked a restaurant called “wonderkid” for breakfast. I could tell from the outside of the building that I was going to enjoy the decor, as they had old-school neon lights hanging in their windows. Jen, her husband Will and I headed in, and it was adorable inside. It was set up to look like a retro lounge, and the menu had so many options. I went for a variety of small plates, including some biscuits and gravy, which I have to get a least once every time I visit Atlanta. When we finished our breakfast we were stuffed, but when we saw the dessert menu we all agreed that some soft serve was necessary - I mean they made it on site, how could I say no?! Plus, they had dairy free, pineapple soft serve, so I could basically have a little taste of Disney.
After food our next stop was the race expo, which was at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, and as soon as we walked into the hotel there were signs pointing us in the right direction. We headed down the escalator to the ballroom, and there were immediately chocolate treats available. Even before we made it to the bibs, there were chocolate drizzled marshmallows, hot chocolate, and other tasty treats. I grabbed a few squaresof chocolate for later when I wasn’t feeling quite so stuffed, and then headed towards the bib pickup. They had about 6 stations to pick bibs up at, and the lines were minimal. I just had to show my ID to one of the volunteers, and she handed me my race bib and pointed me in the direction of swag pickup.
slight side note, about the Hot Chocolate race series legacy program - When they race company first introduced their legacy program, it was city specific, i.e. you had to do the same race in the same city each year to qualify for legacy awards. But about a week ago I saw a post about the program online, saying that it had been updated, and now to achieve legacy status you can run any Hot Chocolate race event in any city! I was excited at this news, since in 2018 I ran the Hot Chocolate 15K in Atlanta, and then in 2019 I ran the race in Brooklyn. So this update meant the 2020 race would be my third year, and I could earn the first legacy medal that they offer. Unfortunately, I changed my last name after I got married, which mean that the races I ran in 2018 and 2019 were under a different last name than the one I registered with in 2020. So I sent an email to RAM customer support, and they were able to seamlessly combine my accounts! I was really pleased with how quickly they were able to take care of things for me.
Anyway, Jen and I headed into the show floor at the expo, and my first stop was to pick up the 2020 jacket. The Hot Chocolate races always have great swag and this year was no exception. They were giving out blue and coral zip up jackets, and when I got mine I was impressed with what a substantial sweatshirt it was! They are nice and heavy, and have inside pockets. My one complaint is that the arms are a little short on them, but at least that means that I will always be able to see my watch when I am wearing it. I made sure to try it on before leaving, since I have had sizing issues in the past, but I was good with the size I selected at registration.
Once I had my jacket we did a lap around the show floor, stopping for a few of the photo ops that were available. I needed to stop at the Nuun booth, since they always have good bundle deals at expos, and I was excited to see that the water bottle that they were offering at this expo was different from the other hot chocolate 15k one that I own. I picked up six tubes and two water bottles, and since I had a good stock of my Nuun flavor preferences at home, I picked up mostly tubes of wild berry since I knew Dennis was running low. Next stop was the legacy booth, where I showed my bib, which indicated my three year legacy status, and was given a three year medal, a mug, and a bar of chocolate covered in sprinkles.
After the expo we headed towards the Beltline, a walking path in Atlanta that is full of bars and restaurants. We headed to place called Ladybird, and found some seats near a fire pit. Will headed inside to grab a menu, and after enjoying the fire for a few minutes, the sky opened and it started to rain, so we were forced inside to the bar. We hung out there for a while, enjoying some drinks and chatting, something I have missed so much since Jen moved to Atlanta.
Eventually we decided to walk to another bar and again, since Jen knows I love a good theme, we headed to a place called BeetleCat, which had a bar that looked like we were below deck on a boat. We hung out and had a drink, and Jen and I even got tiny mermaids that hung on the rims of our cups with one of them.
We needed to head back to their house to feed their animals after BeetleCat, as it was getting close to dinner time. Once we were home we decided to watch a movie and order food. We went with Nicholas Cage’s movie “Between worlds,” which is highly amusing if you are into “bad” movies.
Before bed I organized all of my race gear, and did one final weather check. It was going to be in the high 30s at the start line, so I decided to wear a long sleeve half-zip under my BibRave shirt, along with some cold weather tights. Sadly, my cold weather tights don’t have great pockets, so I wouldn’t be able to comfortably carry my GoPro during the race.
The next morning we needed to leave the house around 6:30, so that I could get to the race start on time. The race started in Centennial Olympic Park, so Will and Jen were dropping me off there, and then planned to meet me at the finish after the race. When I got out of the car I was very happy that I decided to pack a heat sheet at the last minute, because it was chilly! There were masses of people milling around the park, and plenty of porter potties lined up. I couldn’t see where the start line actually was, so I just followed the flow of traffic until I saw a volunteer ushering people in the right direction.
I had submitted a proof of time so I could be in a preferred corral for this event, and was surprised that I was placed in corral A. When I got to the start the corral was pretty empty, and I just tried to keep moving so my toes wouldn’t go numb. As the start time approached and the corral started to fill up, I realized I was was too close to the front of the corral, and tried to weave further back. My primary goal for this race was to run the nine miles continuously, with a “B goal” of keeping a sub 10-minute mile average. When I spotted the 9:30 min/mi pacer, I tried to get behind them, since that was about where I was hoping to be for this race.
7:30 approached, the national anthem was sung, I abandoned my heat sheet, and the crowd of runners began to make their way over the start line. I felt stiff as the race began, and was seriously questioning how I was going to fare over the 9.3 miles that were ahead of me.
By the end of mile one I had warmed up considerably, and pulled off the buff I had around my neck and secured it on my belt. I had forgotten just how hilly this course was - it was a little different from when I ran it in 2018, but I think I blocked out all of the hills from the last time, and just remembered the rain.
As we made our way through the city a few sights seemed familiar, and there was a great sunrise view waiting for me at the top of one of the first hills. As we entered mile two I was starting to find my stride, but I was wanting some water. When I got to the first aid station they were offering up marshmallows, Nuun, and water. I managed to grab a snack and a water, and took a gel as I continued running. After fueling up I felt better, and kept trucking forward.
The course was nonstop rolling hills from start to finish. Every time I climbed to the top and coasted on the downhill, trying to keep a consistent pace while not pushing my knee too hard. There were three more aid stations on the course, and since I was feeling good I decided to try some of the treats at each one - second was gummy bears, then M&Ms, and finally a GIANT chocolate chip. I was successful for the most part, until the big chocolate chip which I entirely fumbled and did not get to enjoy.
As the race continued on I managed to speed up a little, and it felt good. I just focused on getting up one hill at a time, weaving a little when necessary. There were spectators on the course occasionally, and each time they cheered it put a little pep in my step. There were plenty of police officers on the course, directing traffic and keeping the runners safe.
The first half of the race felt like a difficult trot, but the second half felt like it was breezing by. When I hit mile 7, I was hopeful that my knee was going to cooperate for the whole distance, and I would be able to run the race straight through as I hoped. When I got to mile 8, I checked my watch and realized that I may be able to finish in less than an hour and a half, and decided to push for it.
Jen was waiting near a finish line, and I was getting closer with each step. The last leg of the race was downhill, and then flat! I had almost forgotten what it was like to run on level ground. I ran through the finish line, a smile plastered across my face - I managed to run straight through, and finished in less than an hour and a half! Woo hoo!
As I walked through the finish chute, I heard Jen shouting to me - she had spotted me in the last stretch, even though I had missed her. As I made my way through the finish area I was handed water, a Nuun sample, and my finishers medal, which was shaped like a big bar of chocolate.
I had to stay in the finishers chute which lead me into the park, where I was able to redeem the ticket on my bib for a big mug of chocolate goodies. There were plenty of lanes at the hot chocolate station, and the volunteers were working hard to pass out the treats. This year the race switched from plastic finisher mugs to biodegradable cardboard ones, which I thought was awesome - partially because I really did not need to bring home another plastic mug to join the two that I already have at home. The mug included hot chocolate at its center, some chocolate fondue, a banana, a rice Krispy, a honey stinger waffle, pretzels, and a marshmallow.
Once I had my treats I found wandered around the finisher area for a few minutes and then found Jen, who was waiting for Will to pull the car around. I had a great time running the All State Hot Chocolate 15k, and was ready for a post-race bagel, even if it wasn’t a NY bagel. We headed to a local shop that Jen and Will are fans of, and I picked out a pretzel bagel to celebrate my race with.
We were planning on having an easy day at Jen and Will’s house after the race, until my flight home that night. Which mean that I had time for my favorite post-race activity - a nap!
My flight home was at 7:40 that night, and Jen and I spent the rest of the day watching shows together and vegging out, which was honestly amazing. Before taking me to the airport we grabbed dinner, and then I was on my way home.
I had a great time spending the weekend in Atlanta, and feel really good about how the Hot Chocolate 15k went. After the race, I feel confident about the races that I have ahead of me, and hopeful that my spring training will roll into a strong base for a fall marathon.
The All State Hot Chocolate race series hosts 5k and 15k races all across the United States. If you like the idea of earning some awesome swag and yummy treats, check them out online at www.hotchocolate15k.com to find a race in a city near you!