For many runners and walkers in the Syracuse area, Cazenovia’s long-running Chilly Chili 5K announces the start of the new running season—though we never really stop racing through the winter in upstate New York.
My first, and prior to our move to Syracuse in 2017, only visit to Cazenovia had been for a bicycle race in 1985; the event, now long defunct, was memorable for a descent so fast that the leaders nearly passed the police car escorting the field. I remember this well because I almost went off the shoulder on that same descent, saved it, and beat a normally faster and more competent friend for the first of two times.
Caz is now a familiar landmark on my commute to Morrisville and a picturesque backdrop for our visits to Critz Farm, but the Chilly Chili was going to afford me my closest glimpse of the village yet.
The forecast was for an unseasonably warm day, but the temperatures began to drop precipitously before the start, and the wind began to pick up. The pre-race gathering was in the lower gym at Cazenovia College, and most of us opted to warm up in the shelter of the athletic building.
The Fleet Feet team was well-represented; I’d recently attended some of the Cold Feet training runs. Running, like cycling, is an individual sport rich with social potential, and it’s always pleasant to socialize before and after races.
The crew in Caz. Photo courtesy of the Chilly Chili.
The field, assembled on Liberty Street, was treated to a beautiful rendition of the anthem before we set off. The start was fast—I usually push an 8 minute mile at 5Ks, but I unintentionally set off in the 6-7 minute range. It might have been the slight downhill or a touch of over exuberance, but cold, hard reality soon robbed me of my momentum.
An enthusiastic start before the climb broke our spirits. Photo courtesy of the Chilly Chili.
Half a mile into the race, we rounded the corner onto Sullivan and started a half mile climb. I started the race hoping that my lungs were largely clear of congestion from the bronchitis that hit me before New Year’s. I knew this wasn’t the case before I crested the hill.
The course flattened out for a time, and I recovered in the second mile of the race. The we hit another hill, a short, steep climb on Syosset Drive, my lungs seemed to fill with fluid; I could hardly breath at all. It was dispiriting and more that a little frightening.
The long descent down Lincklaen saved me, and I recovered enough to navigate the shot climb to the finish on Liberty. My time of 26:11 was well off my personal best, but my latest PR was set with clear lungs on a flat course.
As a chili aficionado, I heartily approved of the post-race festivity—a cookout featuring local restaurants and catering companies held in the upper gym. A few stations ran out before I could get a sample, but there was enough to make a meal of it, and racers, who received free admission, could join locals and judges in voting for the best chili of the completion.
The spice helped to clear my lungs, and I walked back to the car with the hope that by the time the Super Couch Potato 5K rolled around on Super Bowl Sunday, I’d be fully recovered from the bronchitis.
Location: Cazenovia, NY
Cost: $30
Swag: Shirt, food, chili!.
Events: 5K
Field: 505
Result: 111/505@26:11; 8:26; 9/29
Shoe: Hoka Cavu 2
