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Hot Cider Hustle 5K: Review and Recap 2017

November 13, 2017

The Hot Cider Hustle 5K was a fun race in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio! Bitter cold temperatures made it a challenge but the race was great.

When I signed up for the Hot Cider Hustle 5K, it was supposed to be a fun birthday run. Typical weather for early November in Cleveland is mid-30s to mid-40s. Sometimes a little snow, but not usually. As I tracked the weather during the week, Friday (my birthday) was supposed to be bitterly cold. Like, mid-February cold. But on Saturday things would warm up a bit, so I wasn’t too worried. A fun birthday race could still happen!

Unfortunately for my cold-hating self, this was not the case. Race morning arrived and the “real feel” was 13˚F. Awesome.

If it weren’t for my friends running the race also, I would have bailed. No doubt about it. I love me some hot cider but 13˚F 5Ks are not my thing…

First let me give you a review of the race, because even though I was a popsicle, it was pretty awesome.

The Hot Cider Hustle 5K was a fun race in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio! Bitter cold temperatures made it a challenge but the race was great.

Hot Cider Hustle 5K Review

Parking

Parking was a mess. I’m pretty sure the folks over at All Community Events grossly underestimated how many people were going to sign up. I sure did! I was thinking there would be maybe 300 people — tops. Well over 1,000 registered and showed up! Luckily I did manage a parking spot but it was a short walk away from the starting area. Under normal circumstances it wouldn’t have been a big deal, but since it was bitter cold and there was snow on the grass, it froze my big toes. More on that later.

Swag

The swag for this race was some of the best! As I sit here typing, I’m wearing the quarter zip fleece shirt. It’s warm and cozy, and I love it! We also received a mug after the race. The mug is also a new favorite.

Hot Cider Hustle 5K: Review and Recap 2017 | Running on Happy

Crowd support

There was a surprising amount of crowd support for this race. Not exactly on the course, but at the beginning and the end. I have no idea why those crazy people stood outside in the freezing cold when they could have been snug in their warm beds, but kudos to them for coming out.

Course

I personally really liked the course. It meandered through a local school campus and then took us out on a beautiful, tree-lined neighborhood road. The only part I didn’t love was a gravel portion on campus toward the end of the race. But it didn’t make or break the course for me.

Post-race party

If it had been fifteen degrees warmer, the post-race party would have been awesome. After the race we received our mugs and got to fill them with piping hot apple cider, plus we got a caramel apple and bottle of water. There was music, lots of folks mingling and hanging out afterward. It really would have been a lot of fun had the weather cooperated.

The Hot Cider Hustle certainly exceeded my expectations and I’m really glad I went. Hopefully they come back to Cleveland next year, because we had a blast!

Hot Cider Hustle 5K: Review and Recap 2017 | Running on Happy

Now on to my race recap…

Hot Cider Hustle 5K Race Recap

As I mentioned, it was freezing-a$$ cold. I was dressed appropriately for the conditions, but not exactly for the standing around part. My friend Julie and I drove together. She had to pick up her packet, and as soon as we did that we headed indoors to the ice rink. Thank gawd it was open, otherwise I think I would have died. My toes got wet and frozen during the walk from the parking lot to the track. I truly couldn’t feel my big toes. Once inside the ice rink, I took off my shoes and put my hand warmers in my shoes to warm up my big toes. I’m so glad I had the foresight to bring hand warmers.

After some time passed and we were warmed up, it was time to line up for the race. Brrrr.

Hot Cider Hustle 5K: Review and Recap 2017 | Running on Happy

I had no plans to race and neither did Julie. We agreed to stick together and have a leisurely fun run. I should mention Julie is significantly faster than me (her marathon PR is 3:45, mine is 4:44) so my plan was to run her easy pace. We lined up pretty close to the start, which worked out well. For once I felt like I seeded myself properly. There was very little dodging or weaving.

Mile 1

We took it easy and chatted through the first mile and enjoyed the scenery. It was so, so cold. I warmed up a little bit during the first mile, but it was brutal. I glanced at my watch and we were holding steady just under 8:30 pace. It felt easy which was definitely a good sign. We passed a fair amount of runners in that first mile.

Mile 2

I was pretty ready to be done when Julie said we were at the halfway point. We picked up the pace just a bit but kept it easy. I warmed up a tad but I was still pretty cold. My quads were numb and my face was frozen. At least I could feel my toes.

Mile 3

The third mile was good. My core was warm and so were my hands. Face was still frozen, but we were on the homestretch. Almost done! My friend from high school, Heather, recognized me on the course and we said a brief “hi” to each other.

With a half mile left, we picked up the pace considerably. At one point I looked at my watch and saw we were significantly sub-8, which is a rarity for me. At this point my goal was to stick with Julie for as long as humanly possible. Her breathing became more labored and I knew she was going to kick it into high gear for the finish. I hung on with her for almost the entire race and could have run faster into the finish chute except for a patch of ice on the track. I didn’t slow much but enough that I could have shaved off a second or two had it not been there.

Finish line

I came through the finish line and thought maybe, just maybe, I had snagged a 5K PR. I wasn’t sure, but it was definitely possible. Without any 5K training — hardly any training at all over the last few weeks, really — I felt really good about this race.

We saw my friend Heather and caught up with her a bit, then found Candice and congratulated her on her amazing race, too.

When the results were posted, I did indeed snag a nice new 5K PR. So happy!

Official finish time: 24:59

I’m so thankful for Julie. Had she not been there to pull me along, there’s no way I would have even considered running fast. I planned on running a tempo-style run, listening to tunes, and not freezing my ass off. But hanging on to her speed brought me a 21-second PR! It’s amazing having a friend that knows you can do better than you think you can.

Hot Cider Hustle 5K: Review and Recap 2017 | Running on Happy

The #HotCiderHustle is a fun, delicious race series. Read @running_onhappy's review!
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I’m really happy with how the Hot Cider Hustle turned out. It was a really fun event made even sweeter with hot cider AND a PR!

xo

Let’s talk!

Have you run a Hot Cider Hustle in your city?

What’s the coldest temperature you race in?

Linking up with My No-Guilt Life, Marcia’s Healthy Slice, and MCM Mama Runs for Tuesdays on the Run, and HoHo Runs and MissSippi Piddlin’ for the Weekly Wrap. Also linking up with Nicole, Annmarie, Jen, and Michelle for Wild Workout Wednesday, and myself, Debbie, and Lora for the Running Coaches’ Corner linkup.

I received a complimentary entry to this race in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

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78 Comments


Lisa @ Mile by Mile
November 13, 2017 at 5:10 am
Reply

Congrats on your race and PR! I actually ran my 5k PR in cold weather too. Its so hard to stand around before and after a race when its that cold out!



    Rachel
    November 13, 2017 at 8:29 am
    Reply

    Thank you!! It was brutally cold. Like, that biting cold that takes your breath away…

Stephani
November 13, 2017 at 6:21 am
Reply

Congratulations, Speedy! That is an amazing time!



    Rachel
    November 13, 2017 at 8:29 am
    Reply

    Thanks, Steph!!!

Wendy@Taking the Long Way Home
November 13, 2017 at 7:29 am
Reply

Wow, Rachel! I’m super impressed with your work this year! Whatever you are doing has paid off. You have to feel so proud. Congrats!

ACE had that race last weekend here. I considered doing it but it poured the entire weekend, so no.



    Rachel
    November 13, 2017 at 8:30 am
    Reply

    I give all the credit to my coach. He’s the best!

    I heard it poured all last weekend for it there. I might have still gone because it was warmer! 😉

Julie @ Running in a Skirt
November 13, 2017 at 8:16 am
Reply

Whoaaa! Sub-25 is amazing girl! Congrats!
What a great race swag shirt too. Looks cozy!



    Rachel
    November 13, 2017 at 8:30 am
    Reply

    Thank you so much! It is SO cozy… I might live in it. 🙂

Deborah @ Confessions of mother runner
November 13, 2017 at 8:40 am
Reply

That is pretty cold for November! Sounds like the perfect way to celebrate your birthday-congrats on your PR



    Rachel
    November 13, 2017 at 9:14 am
    Reply

    It was SO COLD! Thank you!!

Debbie Waters
November 13, 2017 at 8:55 am
Reply

Congratulations Rachel! And you said you were going to have a nice easy race…. look at you, girl! Nice PR! Love the magic that can happen when you run with a faster friend.



    Rachel
    November 13, 2017 at 9:15 am
    Reply

    That was the plan! I blame Julie for running too fast. 😉 And also thank her for helping me get a PR!

Kimberly
November 13, 2017 at 9:08 am
Reply

Congrats on your new PR! That’s some awesome swag for a 5K – I’m jealous!



    Rachel
    November 13, 2017 at 9:15 am
    Reply

    Thank you! The half zip is amazing…

Sarah
November 13, 2017 at 9:40 am
Reply

Congrats on the PR!! Sounds like a mess and a big difference from 300 to over 1,000 I think my nerves would have already messed me up just with the parking.



    Rachel
    November 13, 2017 at 4:44 pm
    Reply

    It was a big difference! Luckily I’m very familiar with the area so it wasn’t that big of a deal. But if I wasn’t familiar I think I would have been a nervous nelly.

Teresa
November 13, 2017 at 10:40 am
Reply

Wow, now that’s how you celebrate a birthday!! Congratulations on the shiny new PR …very impressive! I’d run in the cold for that half zip and hot apple cider too! 🙂



    Rachel
    November 13, 2017 at 4:45 pm
    Reply

    Thank you so much! It was such a pleasant surprise. 🙂

    The half zip is amazing, not gonna lie…

Jessica Kuepfer
November 13, 2017 at 12:04 pm
Reply

That is some of the nicest race swag I have seen! Also – huge congrats on a well deserved PR!



    Rachel
    November 13, 2017 at 4:45 pm
    Reply

    Thank you so much! It was very unexpected but I’m so happy!

Megan @ Meg Go Run
November 13, 2017 at 12:05 pm
Reply

Congrats on your PR! 13 degrees is soooooooo cold. I mean, I would race in it but I don’t see myself doing something longer than a 10k! (and when I say race, I mean plod along in 5 layers!) The zip up is some great swag.



    Rachel
    November 13, 2017 at 4:46 pm
    Reply

    It was beyond cold. I’ll do a long run in those temperatures, but like you said, that’s plodding along in 5 layers. It was SO COLD!

Wendy Hammond
November 13, 2017 at 12:45 pm
Reply

wow, I thought our race in the 30s was cold! Looks like a fun one.



    Rachel
    November 13, 2017 at 4:46 pm
    Reply

    Yep, yep, this was a little too cold for my taste! It was fun, though. 🙂

Kim Hatting
November 13, 2017 at 1:02 pm
Reply

WOW!!!! Way to go! The cold temps are so brutal, but they do help us run faster to stay warm and finish. My coldest 5K was in late January (a few years ago), and it was low-single digits with the wind. The course was accidentally shortened (turn-around was mis-marked), so it wasn’t quite a 5K, but my pace was around 8:15ish adn I was never so glad as to cross the finish line and get inside.



    Rachel
    November 13, 2017 at 4:47 pm
    Reply

    Thank you! It was really uncomfortable, not gonna lie. I will be hard pressed to do that again any time soon!

Abbey Sharp
November 13, 2017 at 2:33 pm
Reply

Too bad about the cold weather but kudos for getting through it!



    Rachel
    November 13, 2017 at 4:49 pm
    Reply

    Thanks, Abbey!

Nicole @ Fitful Focus
November 13, 2017 at 4:10 pm
Reply

PRs when you weren’t planning them are the best! I don’t mind racing in the cold when I’m actually running, but waiting for the race to start is pretty brutal when it’s freezing. It still sounds like a lot of fun!



    Rachel
    November 13, 2017 at 4:50 pm
    Reply

    The PR made it so worth it! But brrrrr…!

Michelle @ Running with Attitude
November 13, 2017 at 5:15 pm
Reply

Wow! What a great time – congrats on your PR! You are much speedier than you give yourself credit for!

What fun race swag!



    Rachel
    November 13, 2017 at 7:42 pm
    Reply

    Thank you! It was a fun, tough race. And cold. 🙂 But the half zip and mug (and PR!) made it worth it.

dixya @food, pleasure, and health
November 13, 2017 at 7:27 pm
Reply

leisure + fun runs are the best! way to go ladies.



    Rachel
    November 13, 2017 at 7:42 pm
    Reply

    Thanks!

Kelly
November 13, 2017 at 7:51 pm
Reply

Bravo to endure the cold. It’s always good to have a friend there helping!



    Rachel
    November 13, 2017 at 7:51 pm
    Reply

    Thanks! And yes, it is!!

Coco
November 13, 2017 at 8:29 pm
Reply

Wow! Congrats! I can’t get over heading to an ice rink to get warm. 😉 I think the coldest I’ve run is 17F. At some point you can’t really tell the difference, right?



    Rachel
    November 13, 2017 at 8:46 pm
    Reply

    I know, right? But it was SO WARM in there! It was frigid outside.

Mollie Mason | Holistic Health Nutrition
November 13, 2017 at 8:41 pm
Reply

This looks like such a fun run! Congrats!



    Rachel
    November 13, 2017 at 8:46 pm
    Reply

    Thanks, Mollie!

Emily
November 13, 2017 at 8:41 pm
Reply

Congrats lady!!! Sounds like you had so much fun 🙂 despite the cold!!!



    Rachel
    November 13, 2017 at 8:46 pm
    Reply

    We had fun and made the best of it!

Jenn
November 13, 2017 at 9:44 pm
Reply

This looks adorable! I love cider and I love caramel apples.

The coldest race I’ve done was 35F at the start. It warmed up fast, though.



    Rachel
    November 14, 2017 at 8:30 am
    Reply

    It was delicious! 🙂

Michelle Hartgraves
November 13, 2017 at 10:42 pm
Reply

Brrr! But atleast it was a fun race. Congratulations on your PR!



    Rachel
    November 14, 2017 at 8:31 am
    Reply

    Thank you!! It was worth it.

Lacey@fairytalesandfitness
November 14, 2017 at 8:12 am
Reply

Way to go! As uch as it sucks running in the cold, it does help with keeping a good pace. Great job! That is some awesome swag for a 5k!



    Rachel
    November 14, 2017 at 8:31 am
    Reply

    That’s what i thought, too! Thank you!!

Judy @ Chocolaterunsjudy
November 14, 2017 at 8:18 am
Reply

That sounds like such an awesome race (when it’s not in the teens, of course). Congrats on your birthday PR! Seems to be a lot of that going around. Sadly my birthday is in the middle of the winter, so no birthday PRs for me (although my second half was around my birthday, and it was a PR).

The fleece! The mug! Now that’s what I call swag.

I’ve raced in the teens — not often, but I’ve done it. I have good cold weather running clothes. 🙂 I’ve run down into the single digits in winter — IF it’s sunny & not windy. The hardest part is always that first step.

Congrats again!



    Rachel
    November 14, 2017 at 8:33 am
    Reply

    Thank you! It was a pleasant surprise. 🙂

    I do my long runs down to 0. But I’ve never raced in such cold conditions before so it was definitely new. And it was bitingly cold for November 11. Brrrr! Not ready for that yet.

Kalee
November 14, 2017 at 9:17 am
Reply

This looks amazing and like so much fun! I love the jacket too!



    Rachel
    November 14, 2017 at 3:06 pm
    Reply

    It was tons of fun!

Marcia
November 14, 2017 at 9:43 am
Reply

Way to snag a chilly PR Rachel! Awesome! I’ve not done the Hot Cider Race here but ACE also does our local turkey trot that is literally 2 miles from my house. The problem is that they oversell it so parking and the course are impossible. Plus the price has gotten out of hand. Very nice swag though!



    Rachel
    November 14, 2017 at 3:07 pm
    Reply

    Ah yes, thankfully I was given an entry because you’re right, it was fairly pricey! They did a nice job, though, so I think as long as you sign up early it’s a good deal.

Laura
November 14, 2017 at 9:51 am
Reply

Wow, that is so awesome! Surprise prs are the best… congratulations!



    Rachel
    November 14, 2017 at 3:08 pm
    Reply

    Thank you so much!

Kathryn @ Dancing to Running
November 14, 2017 at 11:48 am
Reply

What a cute theme for a race, and definitely perfect for the cold weather. Congrats on the new PR! I always find it so hard to run fast when I’m cold.



    Rachel
    November 14, 2017 at 3:08 pm
    Reply

    Thanks! I had no plans to run fast. It just happened!

Lesley
November 14, 2017 at 3:37 pm
Reply

I did a race 2 years ago, the Saturday before Thanksgiving, and it was freezing. A front was coming through and the temps had dropped, and the wind was brutal. I took a pretty hot shower after I got home, AND went to Starbucks for hot chocolate since I still felt cold.



    Rachel
    November 15, 2017 at 3:13 pm
    Reply

    Hot chocolate is the best way to warm up! I’m not really looking forward to the freezing-for-hours-afterward runs this winter…

HoHo Runs
November 14, 2017 at 5:26 pm
Reply

A surprise PR? How fantastic! I think 23 degrees is the coldest I’ve ever raced in (Route 66). I haven’t seen a Hot Cider race around here. I assume this is a franchise of some sort? I love the fleece pullover! That’s pretty good swag for a 5k. AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Thanks for linking.



    Rachel
    November 15, 2017 at 3:12 pm
    Reply

    Thank you!

    Yes, it’s one of those traveling events. All Community Events puts them on. I guess they do Turkey Trots as well, though not in Cleveland. It was fun — if they have one by you I recommend it!

Clarinda
November 14, 2017 at 7:03 pm
Reply

Brrr. I can’t even. *shiver*

1000 congrats on your PR!! A sub-25, too?! So amazing. 🙂



    Rachel
    November 15, 2017 at 3:10 pm
    Reply

    Haha, right??!! SO COLD!!!!

    Thank you so much! 🙂

Mary
November 14, 2017 at 7:43 pm
Reply

When you are going in an ice rink to warm up… you know it’s cold. 13 degrees is brutal. You got a nice PR out of the deal, though, so I can’t feel too sorry for you! Nice swag, you earned it.



    Rachel
    November 15, 2017 at 3:10 pm
    Reply

    I know, isn’t that ironic? Lol! 13 degrees IS brutal. At least I got something out of it. 🙂

Toni
November 14, 2017 at 7:52 pm
Reply

Looks like a fun race, I love cider. Congrats on your shiny new PR>



    Rachel
    November 15, 2017 at 3:10 pm
    Reply

    Thanks, Toni!

jill conyers
November 15, 2017 at 4:58 am
Reply

Congrats on the PR! My husband just PRd a 5k trail race last weekend.



    Rachel
    November 15, 2017 at 3:10 pm
    Reply

    How fun! Congrats to him!

Janelle @ Run With No Regrets
November 15, 2017 at 10:19 am
Reply

Dang girl you are fast! Congrats on the new PR! Boo to the frigid temps…I like the cold, but 15 degrees is a bit much, haha! This sounds like such a fun race, I wish we had something like this in my area!



    Rachel
    November 15, 2017 at 3:04 pm
    Reply

    Thanks, Janelle! It was a really fun race but only because of the PR. Lol. It was really, really cold!!!

Thanksgiving Traditions: A Turkey Trot Retrospective - Running on Happy
November 17, 2017 at 5:01 am
Reply

[…] festivities with my bestie. And that makes me so very sad. Fortunately Julie and I just ran the Hot Cider Hustle together (which is part of the reason we chose that race). I’m hoping I can rope my husband […]



MCM Mama
November 20, 2017 at 12:51 pm
Reply

Sounds like a fun race! Congrats on the PR!



    Rachel
    November 21, 2017 at 9:19 am
    Reply

    Thank you!

Darlene
November 21, 2017 at 11:34 am
Reply

Not a an of cold weather but I do it when I have to. Just don’t like !

Congrats on your awesome birthday gift – a PR!!!



    Rachel
    November 22, 2017 at 8:06 am
    Reply

    Thanks, Darlene!!

Fitness Motivation : The Hot Cider Hustle 5K was a fun race in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio! Bitter… | Healthy | Leading Health & well-being Inspiration source
December 18, 2017 at 7:35 pm
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[…] -Read More – […]



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