Jingle Bell Run 5k
December 10, 2011
On race morning I checked the temperature several times hoping to see a dramatic increase. Didn’t happen and when Reinhardt and I left the house to meet our fellow Team Odyssey members it was a delicious 28 degrees. The Jingle Bell 5k is a charity race raising money for Arthritis. When I first signed up at the invite of a fellow Team Odyssey member (thanks Kristen) I didn’t have a personal connection to Arthritis. Between the time I signed up and race day I found out the the pain my mom was having in her arms was Osteoarthritis. Having a personal connection made it a little more meaningful.
Despite the cold and the unexpected traffic Team Odyssey was there with bells on (literally). What a great group we had every one was enthusiastic and happy to be there.
The course started at McFadden’s and packet pick up was inside which was nice considering the lines were very long and it was so cold out. The course is some what similar to the Pirates 5k. It runs along the river and past the stadiums. The course is scenic and interesting and besides being to narrow at some points to hold the volume of runners participating (over 1600) it is quite enjoyable.
I ran the race with Reinhardt who was doing his first 5k since he started running some what regularly. It was a definite success and we crossed the finish line together well within his goal time. It was rewarding to contribute to a great cause, spend some times with friends, and get in some cardio well before 11:00 on a Saturday.
Bonus I found these super cool dudes.
