Jingle Bell Run 10K

Wanting to run some kind of marathon while we were in California—I was hoping for one in Sacramento—but the only thing I could find was one up in Placerville on Christmas eve morning. Okay with me!
The description said: A Jingle Bell run among the Christmas decorated streets of Placerville. So I signed up for a 10k; thought it would be fun to run down Main Street.

After registration, I was unable to find a map for the run. So, I sent an email and got a quick response sending me to ANOTHER website with a COMPLETELY different run title: Placerville Path Mingle and Jingle.

The race was NOT down main street in Placerville, it was rather, on a running trail that follows highway 50 east up the mountain. How misleading! I was disappointed, but not enough to put me off the run. (I mentioned this to my new friends whom you'll meet below and they had thought the exact same thing.)

So, in another email I inquired as to how many runners had signed up. 97 That's it. And that was split between a half marathon, 10k, and 5k. I was more deflated. But I still wanted to run a Christmas eve race...and race fees are nonrefundable—it's just the way things are—so I went with a good attitude :) That's what running does to you. Heh. Heh.

It was in the lower 30's that morning. SO COLD. I picked up my running bib (with no chip) and Adam left me so he could go back home to pick up the cheering squad. I waited and walked around and around this bus station trying to stay warm while looking quite fashionable in my Ugly Christmas Sweater and hat.

It's funny how people tend to attract to one another...somehow we three saw each other waiting alone so we grouped together and ended up becoming 20 minute friends.
I don't even think we traded names, but we had fun chitchatting while waiting around for instructions.

I said good luck and Merry Christmas to my friends (they were doing the 5k) and grouped with my 10kers and started running when the bearded man said "go!" and pressed his official stopwatch. There were perhaps 20 of us in the 10k group.

The path was nice, forested in parts, and we didn't see the freeway much. It was uphill for the first half for an elevation gain of 449 feet! Since my training in flat Texas elevates about 115 feet... there were a few places I had to walk just to get my heart rate back down or else pass out. But knowing there was a cheering squad I couldn't disappoint, I pushed myself to keep pace!

Below: the overpass goes right over Highway 50 just outside of downtown Placerville. A few cars honked as we ran over. It was fun!

I had the pleasure of passing this awesome cheering squad twice! It was such a small race, they were the only ones cheering anyone along the path. One runner told me she felt the love.

I don't know if they truly WANTED to come—except to support me—so I am grateful! (I mean, who REALLY wants to get out of a warm bed to come cheer a bunch of strangers...?) But it makes such a difference as a runner, who's doing something hard, to know there are people waiting to cheer. It was AWESOME.

The nice thing about this race being uphill during the first half....is that the last half was all downhill! Who doesn't like running downhill? (Though, it put an unusual kind of strain on my hip, and I paid for it later. I could barely lift my leg for a couple of days and the pain was so intense I felt it in my back. The pain still isn't totally gone.)

The girls and Mo met me before the finish line and ran with me to the end. Then I hit the finish line where everyone else was waiting. So fun. I love my family. I think about this day often when I am out running alone (more like limp-running since my hip is still giving me problems. Yes, I know I should stay off it. I know. I know.)

I picked up my official FINISHER certificate...no comment...and picked up my goodie bag of kale chips—because thats what every thirsty, dry mouth runner wants at the end of a good run—and went home to enjoy the rest of the day in the usual Christmas Eve fashion.

You are all AWESOME!

What Happened 30 Years Ago?

1987 happened! Duh! Or is it "No Der?"
It was a big year...disposable contact lenses became available, so did prozac. We enjoyed the sophistication of Star Trek the Next Generation as well as entertainment of a different kind from the Simpsons. I had fun researching noteworthy events for a trivia game (whilst jamming out to 80s tunes) a couple weeks ago.

Last Saturday three wards (church groups) in our stake (region) came together to celebrate their 30th Anniversary. Because I am an introvert and go BLANK (ugh) when I have to talk to people...I don't much care for a potluck gatherings unless some other activity is involved to get things more lively.

So, as the new Cruise Director (Ward Activity Specialist)...I suggested a 1980s trivia game in conjunction with the potluck. It took me about six hours to research and format the questions so they'd be interesting and interactive. And it was worth it! We received quite a bit of positive feedback so I think it went well.

From where I was standing some people absolutely freaked out in excitement about several of the questions (could definitely tell who the Trekkies were.) So I wanted to share the game so you can use it for your next very large gathering. Click here.

How to:
The game will work for any amount of people—just divide them into teams.
It does seem to be more fun with a crowd. Playing it with a small group of people just doesn't have the same energy level.

We prepared for 360 people and thought dividing them into 8 teams would be manageable. Each group received a gallon paint stick with a colored piece of paper attached to wave in the air and shout out if they had the answer. I took score according to their color. (I printed off a sheet with colored boxes on it, if the team got a point, they got a tick mark next to their color. Easy.)

It's helpful to have a handsome MC can run the game while a lovely assistant takes score and helps with parts of the game. (Or vice versa.)

Enjoy!

Note: Don't use noise makers—like a bell or horn to honk to answer. It doesn't work in a crowd. We tried. Also, since our teams had 4 tables per team, I do wish we'd provided a colored stick per table instead of only one per team.