A story of going from being a non-runner to planning for a marathon in three years...

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Rotary Santa 5K



This past weekend was all about getting ready for the Christmas holiday. And what better way to get ready than to run a 5K dressed like Santa?

Kim, Jen, and I ran the Rotary Santa 5K in Arlington Heights. And, trust me, I wasn't the only one who showed up in a Santa suit.






I'm #799


This race was so much fun! I wasn't running for time or to get a new PR. I ran for the pure enjoyment of running a themed race (and my first race in costume) with friends. And enjoying the first snowfall of the year. Yes, it snowed the entire run.



The first mile was slow as everyone tried to find their footing and dodge the walkers, the gawkers and some very confused drivers. But after that we settled into a nice pace that actually felt pretty easy considering I was horribly overdressed. In the end we averaged a 9:23 pace for a final time of 29:05.

Mile 1 - 9:55
Mile 2 - 9:18
Mile 3 - 9:15
Mile .1 - 8:30 pace

I remember how hard I had to work during my second-ever 5K to get my time below 30 minutes. I love looking at how far I've come. Now I can do a 29 minute 5K without even thinking about it.

My mom was also there to spectate. She couldn't get over how picturesque the day was or how hilarious all the Santas were.



I love when she comes out to watch me race. I love sharing that part of my life with her. She always seems to enjoy it, too. Of course, how could you not enjoy 1000 running and walking Santas?

But that's not the only reason she was visiting. Nope, she was helping me get my house ready to host our family Christmas. Which means, putting up the tree!



So, a weekend filled with Santas and snow and decorating. Christmas is almost here!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Especially love the picture of you and your mom.

Great tree, too! I'm dragging mine out of the basement tonight. The fiber optic one. There's nothing like a traditional Christmas on the prairie.

Lacey said...

oh my gosh that's a lot of santas!!!!!!!! what a fun race!!! i love having my parents come too :)

Jessica (Bayjb) said...

Tree looks great! And I love the idea of running in a Santa costume. What a great idea!

Johann said...

Fantastic! I love everything about this post, well done! What fun!

Anonymous said...

Oh my gosh! What a great idea for a race! I so wish we had something like that here.

kilax said...

I love the tree. I would love to see all your star and moon ornaments up close!

I was thinking about the race, and one thing I forgot to write about was the random snowballs being thrown. Ha ha. It was a fun race! I am happy your mom came. She's a lot of fun :)

And it's crazy for an under 30 5K to be so easy, right... now, it's time to gear up for the Frosty Footrace (Okay, not really. It's almost three months away).

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