Port Orleans French Quarter Beignet Dash 5K

Race: Port Orleans French Quarter Beignet Dash 5K
Watch Time: 33:50
Official Time: N/A
Pace: 10:20 min/mi

Comments: When we booked our Christmastime vacation at Walt Disney World earlier this year we made staying at the Port Orleans French Quarter for at least part of the trip a priority. A big reason for that was the Beignet Dash.

For several years, this resort has offered a Sunday morning fun run through the two Port Orleans properties. The total course is about a mile and a half. At the end, you are rewarded with three enormous beignets. More recently, they have added a commemorative button and Mardi Gras bead "medal."

Total cost of all this is $15. Which is insanely cheap when it comes to Disney.

So we got up early and gave it  a whirl. I put on my Goofy finisher shirt because you are damn right I did.

The run was really as pleasant as advertised. Maybe two dozen folks showed up for it. They had bibs for the runners and a little starting queue. Of course there were a number of kids who took off like a shot when it started. They slowed down soon enough, of course.

We did the course and I then went back and did another lap to make it a 5K. Since I did the first one slow, I let myself push it a bit on the second but nothing crazy. It was a great little workout and everyone involved was a delight to deal with.

Afterwards we got our beignets. I was very pleasantly surprised how good they were. Typically you get a powdered sugar doughnut but these were legitimate beignets. They didn't go halfway with the powdered sugar either. I had it all over myself by the time I got done. So points for verisimilitude.

Form Follows Fitness 5K

Race: Form Follows Fitness 5K
Watch Time: 25:18
Official Time: 24:49
Pace: 7:59 min/mi

Comments: I signed up for this 5K at the last minute for several reasons but none more important than the fact I haven't run ANY race in almost two years. And since the course was through the Dallas arts district, I figured it would be a nice welcome back.

It was a pretty crowded field with more than 2,500 runners. Since the start was on some of the narrower streets, my first mile wasn't a spectacular pace. Toward the end of it things started clearing up a little and I could settle into a more steady groove. Of course I went too fast but remembering that (and not doing it next week) was a big part of the reason I ran this.

The course had a decent amount of downhill over the first two miles but a lot of uphill on the last one. I kind of knew this was coming from running races in downtown before so it wasn't a surprise. Still, never a lot of fun.

I was hoping to get under the 8 min/mi mark but the slow start kept that from happening. Still, I think the effort to produce that goal was clearly there. Obviously, I ain't taking a stab at that next week.

UPDATE: The official chip time was 24:49 which put me under the 8 min/mi threshold. Yay me!

Retro Run 5K

Race: Retro Run 5K
Official Time: 24:41
Gun Time:

Comments:

I Did A Green Run 5K

Race: I Did A Green Run 5K
Official Time: 21:26
Gun Time:

Comments: