Arctic Run

Why are these people smiling when they just ran a race in 8 degree weather? And why did I leave my comfy couch at 6:30 AM yesterday (with coffee in hand and puppy by my side) to go out in arctic weather to run a 4 mile race???

Because that's what runners do and yes, we are weird. You have to drag us kicking and screaming to get us into a pool at 6:00 AM but we don't bat an eye to don our running shoes at the but-crack of dawn and run through snow-covered roads in blistering cold temperatures. My husband did just that this morning (although I do think he is weird because it was 10 below zero, but that's another story).

So, Jenny, Paul, and I went to Ft. Collins to run the 28th annual Christmas Classic 4 Miler. It was bitter cold (about 8 degrees) but I had put on so many layers that I actually got hot in the middle of the race and took my jacket off. Jenny got 2nd Master's and I won my age group (but with 63 people in the race, I was the only one in my age group!). But hey, I'll take the ornament that I won anyway.

The best part of the day was that I won a pair of shoes. John Lonsdale, race director and owner of Foot of the Rockies, announced that he was giving away 3 pairs of Mizuno running shoes. Jenny leans over and says "yeah, I bet you who complained about staying around for the awards will probably win them" and guess what....John calls my number first and I get the shoes!

Jenny then says "Oh great. Now I bet Paul wins a pair" and he did! It was too funny. But Jenny won $25.00 off a new pair so she didn't do too badly. And since not many people showed up for the race (lazy bums!), they had more door prizes than people so we all went home with a bunch of free stuff. I got a free shirt for Kurt, shirt for Katerina, two shirts for me, an ornament, and a pair of shoes. Not bad for $23.oo entry fee!

So, who's the lady in the Santa suit in the photo above??? That's Mercedes, one of the fastest women in northern Colorado. She ran as Mrs. Claus and Tim Jones ran as Santa Claus. Any man who beats him wins a pair of socks and any woman who beats Mrs. Claus, wins a pair of socks. This race is way too much fun to miss - you better be there next year!