Saturday morning was the Lifetime Fitness Reindeer Run 5K. It was a "fun run" - so no timing chips, just a clock at the finish line. We had some friends in town for the weekend, two of whom are runners, so they registered, and since there was going to be a costume contest also, I managed to talk them into running in a group costume with me! After much consideration, and more-than-a-few email conversations, we figured out a costume that included Christmas ribbon and jingle bells finagled into a faux-reindeer-team-harness (as if we were hitched together), reindeer antlers, and even a red rudolph nose for the lead runner!
We got lots of attention, laughs, and comments from spectators, other runners, and even the police officers monitoring the course! We were obviously a crowd favorite, which was proven later during the costume contest judging. We won the group costume division, and were each given a running skull cap and fleece blanket (both of which had the race logo on them)! As if that wasn't great enough, because the race benefited the Toys for Tots campaign, anyone who donated a toy was entered in a raffle - and my name was one of the ones drawn! I won a goody bag from a local women's running store that included a set of matching items: a no-slip-grip headband/sweatband, a wristlet for holding keys, and a running skull cap with a hole in the back for a ponytail! Cool beans!
Another high point in the morning was meeting up with some friends of mine from work who are also runners. They brought the whole family, and Jessica WON the women's division of the 5K, and their oldest daughter (who's 5) ran in the Kid's K. Jessica won a gift certificate for a pair of Mizuno's from Sun & Ski Sports and Anna got a super-cute medal (that I'm secretly really jealous of) and an ornament with the race logo on it.
After the race, prize ceremony, and costume judging, we went our separate ways. However, I still had to log some more miles that morning, so Carrie and Elizabeth were kind enough to join me on continuing my run along one of the trails nearby. We got in another 4.5 before I was ready to call it quits (so much for the plan to try to get in 9, but 7.5 certainly wasn't terrible -especially with the good paces we were keeping). All-in-all, a very good day! And, now the pre-half-marathon taper has officially started!
- 5K Race: 3.16 mi; 0:39:42 min; 12:34 min/mi avg
- Other: 4.5 mi; 0:58:19 min; 12:58 min/mi avg
Thanks for letting us know about the race. It was a lot of fun. Rod and I love Anna's race medal too. Rod had the idea to make it into a Christmas ornament since it have those cute reindeer on it.
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