Happy National Chocolate Day!

Who knew such a thing existed?  I guess I should have known since it seems like there is a day for everything, but I can definitely get on board with a day for chocolate!  It's a good thing I love running to counteract my love of chocolate, which brings me to some some exciting news related to chocolate and running!  This year, I am a blog ambassador for the Hot Chocolate 15/5K and I couldn't be more excited because the race last year was definitely a highlight for me and I'm excited to spread the word about such a great race.

 When I first heard about the Hot Chocolate race series last year, I was immediately intrigued by the name, but the two things that sold me and led me to sign up were the post-race treats (hot chocolate and chocolate fondue? Yes, please!) and the awesome hoodie which served as the race swag last year.  The hoodie was my favorite running accessory last winter and it got me through many a cold race, including the Hot Chocolate race, which happened to fall on a bitterly cold St. Louis day.  I'm a sucker for thumb holes on my running tops/jackets, so this hoodie had me at the words "thumb holes."

December 2013 before the race with the amazing hoodie with thumb holes

December 2013: post-race chocolate deliciousness.  

I loved everything about the race last year, barring the frigid temperatures, but what can you expect in mid-December?  The expo was a lot of fun (there were chocolate samples!) and I loved that they had a fitting room for you to try on your hoodie to make sure you got the right fit.  Race day, as I mentioned, was brutally cold, but the race volunteers were amazing, race officials monitored the cold temperatures and the slightly slippery road conditions to keep all runners safe, and the post-race party was great!  All in all, it was a wonderful experience, which you can read more about here, and I am really excited to participate again this year when the Hot Chocolate Race returns to St. Louis on December 14th!

Last year, I did the 5K, but this year I am going to challenge myself to do the 15K, which I am looking forward to.  Not only will all participants receive another awesome hoodie this year, but new to 2014 races, all 15K participants will receive a sweet, city-specific medal in the shape of a candy bar.  I'm so glad they added a medal this year for the 15K runners; my friend, Mary, ran the race last year and it was her longest run to-date and I thought she really deserved a medal after that race, so I made her one online!

From the Hot Chocolate 15K & 5K Facebook page: a look at the sweet 15K finishers medals from the Denver race 

I'm also excited to share that as a blog ambassador, I will be giving away a free registration to a reader!  Stay tuned for information on the giveaway in the near future!  (The registration will be available for any Hot Chocolate Race within this season.) 

In the meantime, if you'd like to register for the Hot Chocolate 15/5K race, feel free to use the code "PLLhat1" to get a free hat with your registration!  I've recently become quite attached to wearing a hat while I run, so I'm excited to add another hat to my rotation.    

Fantastic race swag, including a hoodie and a hat with the above code.  

For more information about "America's Sweetest Race", the Hot Chocolate racing series, including the other cities hosting races, catch them on their webpage, on Facebook, and on Twitter.  

It's been a busy month for the Roeseler's and as much as I love October and Halloween, I am looking forward to a somewhat more quiet November and hopefully, more consistent blog posts and workouts! 

"Don't count the miles. Make the miles count."