Jingle All the Way

So I ran the Jingle Bell Run again this year. It's always cold and always fun. SI said he would run again with me. I warned him I was going to keep and 8 - 8:30 pace. He was fine with that. I wasn't, well for him, I know he can run much faster. Even with his break from training.

We warmed up, it was good. The sun was out. The sky was clear. There was wind but the buildings were blocking it. Ok, I was ready.

Off we went. It looked like just about everyone was dressed up in some type of holiday attire. SI had Santa shorts with hohoho on the back and a cap. I had on a red and green t-shirt with moose antlers. I must confess I wore the get up for the sole purpose of getting in Chicago Athlete magazine. Yes, I know, shameless.

About a half mile into the run I started asking myself when an 8 minute mile pace got so difficult. We passed the 1st mile marker. Try to keep it up I kept telling myself.

Then, SI starts talking, this was a leisurely pace for him. The conversation was light, nothing deep but what he was saying hit me. I could relate to what he was saying and for some strange reason I choked up. My eyes actually got tears in them, well maybe that was from the cold. Good thing I was out of breath while running the now 8:30 pace cause I almost started to cry. My one word, one breath answers hid my emotions well.

At the 2 mile mark I was able to swallow the lump in my throat and just be completely annoyed that I still had 1.1 miles left. It was just shortly after that that SI asked if we had passed any mile markers yet. Now I'm laughing and tell him yes, we passed 2. "Oh, I was to busy talking to notice" he says. And I thanked him for the distracting conversation.

We can see the finish now and I don't have it in me to remind him they moved the finish, we have a little farther to go than it looks. Then our photo op arrives. We get ready and just as the photog is going to take the picture, a woman in a sequenced Santa hat runs right in front of us, she's laughing and smiling. UGH - I wore this get up for nothing. OK, next year for sure.

A picture was snapped at the finish line and that was when I realized the smile on my face was frozen, for real. In the past I have written that it felt like it was frozen but Sunday morning it really was. I couldn't move my face. DOUBLE UGH! I'm afraid to see what the pic is gonna look like. Maybe it's a good thing sequent Santa ran in front of us a 1/4 mile earlier.

I finished the run with an 8:26 pace. (Now you don't have to stalk the time Dennis :) )

So we walk in the Mart and get our gear bags and find a seat. I love this race for the fact that after the run you can sit in the lobby of the Merchandise Mart and just relax. SI starts to change his shirt and "modestly" tells me not to look, so of course I turn, but not just my head I move my whole body and end up knocking over a lamp. So I didn't see him but the entire south section of the Mart got a good look at him. SORRY! Luckily the lamp wasn't broken. The girl stretching at the table next to us got a good laugh.

In the end we all enjoyed some hot chocolate that Rich's wife brought, none of us won a raffle prize - although I don't know how that happened since they kept calling number after number - oh well, next year for that too. Tom took 1st in his age group and so did Laura, oh yeah!!! Scott would have placed if he didn't run with me. Rich took 6th and believe it or not, I podiumed for the first time this year - I came in 3rd in my a/g.

Breakfast was good. And I was ready for a nap during the drive home.

I'm already strategizing for next year. The plan is to get in that goofy magazine and to keep up with SI so he can get his medal. :):)

Life is good.