Jingle Bell Run - 12/19/2010

The 2008 Jingle Bell Run was my first running race ever.  My goal was to finish the race without stopping to walk.  I wasn't really sure what to expect, but it wasn't 2000+ people dressed as Santa, elves, reindeer, and at least one 6' gingerbread man.  All of whom flew by me, as it happens, but that was fine.  I enjoyed the run and wanted to be part of it again.

This year I signed up and knew that friends would also be there.  I also wanted to dress for the occasion this time, with a Patriot's Santa hat borrowed from Monica.  Rather than take the T or drive, I walked from my house to Davis Square, warming up a bit in the process.  I got there around 10:30 and checked out the many costumes and exposed skin; some very brave and/or warm-blooded people. I kept looking for my friends but never saw any of them, so I settled into the 8 minute/mile pen and we started off at the gun.

It wasn't a problem the last time I ran here, but the first mile or so is spent trying to find a clear path to run.  I had to bob and weave to get past some slower runners (a phrase that still amazes me) as we worked our way to Ball Square, then up towards Tufts. I had warmed up but never really felt loose during the run. I didn't stop at the water station because it was only a 5K, turned onto the bike path, sprinted as best I could while avoiding the ice and finished in 25:47.  Without the slow first mile I'm sure I could have been faster, probably under 25 minutes, but it doesn't really matter.

After the race I got my medal, grabbed some water and hung around a bit looking for Maria and Jackie, but never saw either of them.  So, I walked back home after the race, still wearing my medal, bib, and Santa hat. A good way to spend the morning.

Cross Training

We're getting into ski season now and this past weekend I got to do my first cross training, a trip to Jay for the NET Vermont Telemark Festival.  A group of friends rented a condo up there and we all headed up Friday night under light snow.  It's a 4+ hour drive but it went by fairly quickly with 2 other people in the car for conversation.  We checked in and opened a bottle or two of red wine as the other cars arrived.

Saturday morning Brenda and I headed over to the Tram lodge to check in with the NET group; Brenda is an instructor and I'm the photographer so we needed to be there early.  The new construction at Jay is pretty amazing, now if they would only put some money into their lifts!  After starting the day running, the Green Mountain Flyer shut down leaving us with only the Metro Quad and the Jet lifts. sigh

After the morning lineup and shooting some of the clinics I headed over to the Jet where I met up with Michelle and Peter as we ducked a few ropes and headed into the woods at Timbuktu.  There we encountered the law firm of Granite, Log, and Moss but had a great time in the softer snow beyond the ski area boundary.  A few runs and back for lunch, then the afternoon classes, and a few more runs in the trees. That night we had a killer lasagna, bread, meatballs, salad, and a bit more wine, followed by pie.  We all slept well.

Sunday the forecast was for snow starting, switching to rain or mix, so we wanted to get some early runs on the Flyer (which was reported to be open) and then take off.  Alas, the Flyer was again closed so we headed to Jet and back into Timbuktu, and a few runs on Jet as well.  Steve and Peter headed up on skins to ski/ride the untracked snow of Valhalla and Power Line and we all met back at the Tram lodge by 12:30.  The other Peter had a broken binding in the morning so he took and unintended rest day, and Anne worked on some drills on Metro after our first run in Timbuktu.

The drive home was wet but uneventful. The snow turned to rain almost as soon as we dropped down from the ski area and stayed steady rain all the way home.  Monday I went for a run at noon to see if I could actually run after skiing, and it went OK. My legs are a bit sore but nothing I can't handle. There will be many weekends like this, one day of skiing followed by a long run, or the reverse.  This weekend was proof that the plan can work.

Cheap White Cotton Gloves

I was worried that I'd left my white cotton running gloves at my sister's house at Thanksgiving, but while packing my gym bag this morning I found them in a jacket pocket.  They're disposable gloves, that's their purpose in life.  Runners often bring them to the start of a race so they can keep warm at first and then just drop them along the course without worrying about a valuable piece of gear. You can buy them for $1.99 at any hardware or garden store, they're ugly and crude. So why did I care if I lost that pair?

My brother brought them to my house a few years ago the first time he ran the Boston Marathon.  When I started running seriously last fall I used them to keep warm because they were what runners wore.  I knew this because my brother wore them. They were a safety blanket for me, a reassuring touchstone that connected me to "real" runners.  No matter how slowly I ran, or how out of shape I looked I could tell myself that others would recognize the common badge we shared and identify me as a runner.  Was it true?  Probably not, but if it helped me get out there and run it was a white lie, if only to myself.

I like the connection to my brother, as well as to the other runners I see wearing cheap cotton gloves. Lately I've been feeling a part of the community of runners, even seeking out others to run with, something I never enjoyed before. But the connection to my novice running self is equally important. It's a nice reminder of how far I've come and the progress I've made.  I have several pair of polypro and windblocker gloves that I use when the conditions warrant, but I still fall back on these white cotton gloves on days like today when I need them. They make me go faster in the same way that racing stripes make a car go faster, but I had a smile on my face when I finished my run today.