Jingle Bell Run 2008 Malvern, PA
To those awesome people that have not given up on me, my apologies for the long delay in posts. Yes I’m still kicking. This is my first run since the Race for Hope one and a half months ago. The bulk of my workouts been sporadic trips to the gym, mostly cardio work on the elliptical and treadmill.
May is coming up quickly and I’m trying to figure out how to instill a sense of urgency in my preparations for the 10 Mile monster. I weighed in this past Monday and my weight was a “svelte” 182 …. the exact weight I was at last April when I started this thing. The argument could be made that some of the fat turned to muscle. That may be true but I need to take this to a whole other level.
So anyway, race day. December 14th. It was a beautiful Sunday morning in Chester County. Perfect weather for a run through some scenic back roads. I felt good. I wasn’t expecting much but I always want to finish well. In fact usually I set my expectations so high that success is almost unattainable. This will change I assure you.
Fran ran this race also as did her friend Kathy. Kathy suffers from Arthritis which this race benefits. This event took place in several cities throughout the nation. All three of us were far from our top 5k condition but we fought through it and did great.
This event was really a spectacle. I wish that I could have gotten some video footage. Runners in gorilla costumes, dressed as elves, dogs dressed as Santa, you name it. The race packet included jingle bells to put on your shoes which made the run very festive and fun.
Long story short, I finished in 28:31. I felt that I did better than that but the runners weren’t digitally timed. After the finish there was gridlock as people were handing in the tags so I may have lost some time. The important thing is that I finished. I kept a 9:11/Mile pace and I had enough in the tank to break into a sprint at the end.
The last month has been up and down in every possible way for me. I adjusted my diet and have been taking whole food vitamins and Acai berry caplets. I had a pack of Cheez-its, peanut butter cups and Taco Bell just today. I’ve hit the elliptical hard for 60 straight minutes. I’ve sat on my ass for entire evenings playing MouseHunt in front of the TV.
I’ve said it before. This thing could go either way.
Thanks for reading.
– D.
Jingle Bell Run Philly official site:
