Reno 5000 Red-Nosed Run

Got out in the cold for Reno 5000's Red-Nosed Run. Slowrunner77 & I left for the race with a temperature of 12 degrees (FYI, last year I punked out from the Turkey Trot because of a 16 degree temperature).  Turi and SnowLep joined us for a full-scale Team Library Dork/Gimp assault (Picture stolen from Turi). 

I say Team Library Dork/Gimp because Slowrunner77+Achilles Strain; Turi+Ankle & fell off a cliff, jacked-up shoulder; SnowLep+Bulging Disc & Handbell playing; and, HighAltDawg+Ankle = we all gotta get right.  I raced for the first time today since missing Ironman Canada and Rock-n-Roll Savannah with a destroyed ankle injury from August.  While cold, this course did me no favors.  I want to support Reno 5000 and props to new kid on the scene Reno Running Company but I think they can tweak the course.  First, make it a real 5k.  Second, use the entire Sierra Summit Shopping Center and create a course without a bunch of made up curves and turns to get the distance in.  I credit them with a tough course (a close to 400m gentle uphill to start each mile loop). I clocked a 27:26 (8:54/9:17/9:16) (slow and off from my training speeds this week) after really slowing down to pace myself and the I just felt the bad ankle in the cold.  Everyone else ran the same course but the director can make a tough course without all the turns that showcases the entire shopping center (including passing the front of their store) that doesn't play to my weaknesses.  Unfortunately, I'll consider this a niche race -- where I can't really truly measure my progress due to weather and couurse factors.  Still props to Reno Running Company for putting on the race.  I'm still an Eclipse Running guy but another quality running store in Reno is nice.