Jingle Bell Run

Last Saturday I ran the Seattle "Jingle Bells Run" with my two speedster friends Albert and Sharon. Once again they both beat me. However usually they have time to grab a sandwich and a coffee by the time I cross the finish line, this time it was a little better...I think. I do remind them that I am closing in on 50 while they just hit 40 this past year. Sometimes I think I should find some new running pals that are oh, I don't know, maybe in their upper 60's...

The official results still aren't in but I believe my pace was around the 7:56 minute mile mark. Not as fast as usual however this was a tough one. The first third of the race was an incline (and I don't recall ever finding the decline to offset it). It was 22 degrees and snow and ice pockets were here and there. They closed the expressway (fun to run on the freeway) and one of the tunnels - once in the tunnel hundreds of people were singing jingle bells. Freaky....I did my best to pass anyone who was singing as it would be embarrassing to have someone sing AND run faster than you.

At the start line we were packed in so tight you couldn't lift your arms. The guy next to me took his shirt off and decided to run topless (again, it was 22 degrees). His girlfriend standing next to him declined to follow suit - had she, I might have found two new running buddies. There was somewhere between 6000 and 10000 runners I would guess.

My next run (weather permitting) will be on January 1st - the Resolution Run. There are two options to sign up for. One is the normal 5K and the other has you jump in the lake just before the finish. I won't be going the water route. I fear that water that cold will deliver a shrinkage level that I may never recover from. I'm also looking for a race the weekend after my birthday so I can do my first run as a 50 year old. So far no luck but there will be one within a month.

**UPDATE** Times are in and gun time was an 8:03 minute mile. I stand by my 7:56 since it took quite some time to get to the start line once the gun went off. In my age group I came in 14 of 174 which is better than I thought for how I felt the race went. Sharon finished 2 of 223 for her age group. I couldn't locate Albert's results and I'm confident that he isn't still out there - though in one of last years races he did run the wrong way.