24th Annual Jingle Bell Run

Jingle Jangle!
There’s nothing like getting up early on a freezing cold December day to run/​walk with a swarm of people dressed in holiday garb. At one point, friend used her bare finger to write on the exhaust-​and-​dirt-​laden express tunnel wall – gross! Later, drank whipped cream and peppermint candy coffee drink at Seattle’s Best Coffee which probably more than cancelled out all the calories I had just burned, but whatever. Still one of the funnest events of the season!
5 stars for the run, 1 star for the shirt color this year. Traffic light green is not that flattering.

Getting up on a chilly Sunday morning to dash through the Jingle Bell Run required bribes. Vitamin water. Power bars. Mocha samples. The non-​edible treats included: a group of women dressed like fairies with huge snowflakes on their backs, Santa with a sleigh complete with a stuffed animal and presents, the aforementioned Gingerbread Man, running/​walking the I-​5 Express lanes closed off for this event, & the guy with the trumpet popping out Jingle Bells.

Great job for everyone who got up on a cold morning to help support arthritis research. They announced that it was 11,000 runners and about $ 500,000 raised for research. Thanks again to everyone who ran or donated to help the 46 million Americans who suffer from arthritis.
Since I was in the first wave of runners, after I’d finished I walked back along the course to cheer on the other Unilocalers who ran… but missed every one of them in the crowd.
As an aside, while I was standing there clapping, next to me was a guy who had flown up from Arizona for the football game. We chatted for a few minutes, watching the sea of runners pass in front of us with the police stationed along the street controlling traffic. After a while, he asked if it was ok to cross the street. I said sure, and pointed to a break in the line of runners where he could make it across. He said no, and pointed to the police as he was worried about a jaywalking ticket. He had heard that «we were pretty serious about that sort of thing up here.»

It seemed like such a good idea until the alarm clock went off at 6 am on a Sunday morning. And then later *someone* pointed out that we actually paid money to get up that early and drag ourselves out to go running. And then it started to snow on us (Awesome!). AND IT WAS GREAT! No, really, it was. I’m serious. It was fine that I probably jogged less than half the time. It was fine being bumped into and passed up by senior citizens and 5 year olds. Because it was fun. It will be another year before I get to sing «Jingle Bells» in the express lane tunnel or see the Gingerbread Man run or wear bells on my pants. Or get up at 6 am on a Sunday.
Truly this is a good cause and a fun race, full of festive frivolity, unlike some other ultra serious races, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Even without brunch and mimosas afterward. Ok, maybe not without a mimosa.

Okay, now I get the «tears» part of the «blood, sweat and tears», I guess! Thank you to Diana, Jessi, Jon, Cecilli, Doug, Dan, Maria and S. Alicia S. for being on the outstanding Unilocal Help Team this year.
Lord knows I’m the last person you’ll find awake at 6AM on a Sunday, which might explain how I managed to injure myself with a safety pin and bleed all over my number… It was completely and totally worth it in the end.
All in all, what a fun event! Some of the costumes were amazing, the turnout was monumental and my Team couldn’t have been filled with more dedicated awesome people… Never will I forgot running through the tunnel for the express lanes with thousands of people singing «Jingle Bells».
Some useful info: The run is 3.1 miles through downtown Seattle. The beginning of the run is a bit confusing with so many people milling about, but there is really no pressure and if you sign up for the wrong wave, nobody will notice you slipping in with a more appropriate wave. The course has few small hills, but is pretty damn reasonable and goes pretty dang fast.
Damn. It’s time for a nap, folks.

Jingle, jingle, run, run, run…
RAD! It’s snowing.
Run, run, run, must not lose DFENS and Jon…
Jingle, jingle, jingle through I-5…express lanes… exhaust is nice while running.
Jessi — «Are you going to run the whole way???»
Me — «Um yeah, I’m high as fuck!»
Jingle, jingle, run, run, run… endorphins ROCK…
Me — «Come on Jessi, don’t get beat by a fat old lady!»
Jessi — *flips me the bird*
Run, run, run — good Christ, why are we going up hill again?
Jingle, jingle, jingle — must not lose DFENS and Jon!
Run faster… JINGLE, JINGLE, JINGLE, JINGLE!!!
What the hell? Is that the finish line?
Verklempt…think of Pops… rope it in.
49 minutes ain’t bad for an old broad with some junk in her trunk. Shit, maybe it was 59. Eh. Who cares???