When you suspect you are a little crazy, it’s nice to have company.
Yesterday BH & I ran in the 4th Annual Chilly Chili 5K Race in Cazenovia, NY. When we started running 18 months ago, 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) seemed an impossible distance to cover. Now that we’re training for the half-marathon (13.1 miles) it’s a piece of cake.
Usually.
A snowstorm blew in at the beginning of the race yesterday. A wicked storm. The temperature was around 18 degrees, but the winds were gusting 20 – 30 mph, which made for a wind chill just below zero degrees(F). It was snowing sideways. The road was covered with slippery, scary snow and ice.
And nearly 1,000 people ran, shuffled, and walked the distance. Finishing a race under those conditions is a lot like completing a book on deadline: it’s not very pretty, but the sense of accomplishment is huge.
Even if your face is frozen. I don’t know if you can see it in the photo, but the ice on my face is frozen sweat. The rest of me was toasty warm, thanks so several layers of warm running gear, but the face was a little ouchy.
Weary triumph.
Everyone was invited to a chili cook-off after the race. It was a great way to thaw.
Local restaurants provided the chili.
The only problem: the lines were very long and you were only given a couple of tablespoons of chili at each table. And adults were given thimble-sized cups of beer.
But it was all for a good cause, the Cazenovia Children’s House, and we laughed a lot, so it wound up being a great day.
What did you do this weekend?
you look like you were freezing!
It was only a temporary situation.
A moment frozen in time, so to speak…
you are crazy
I only run when I’m being chased, and even then I’m not very fast. Yay you!
Kim
what music were you listening to?
Eminem, Des’ree, U2, Trapt Trapt, and The Allman Bros.
I turned off the music about halfway through because I really needed to focus on not slipping in the snow.
OMG, I didn’t know that sweat could actually freeze! It was so cold last night, every time I took the dog out I was afraid his you-know-what would freeze midstream. But I was only kidding!
BTW, thank you for your e-mail last week. I’m glad I could contribute. Good luck with your efforts – I find them really inspiring!
And here I’ve been dismissing our 30-something degree mornings too cold for running outdoors … 🙂
The secret is layers!
Go you! The cook-off looks like it was fun, and the chili looks delicious. I think all that cold weather is up by us now–it’s 19 degrees and so windy!
wow! good job! i can barely walk in the snow, let alone run.
Wow! Great run.
But OMG, I never in my life want to experience frozen sweat.
You may have had frozen sweat on your face but it was nothing compared to the look of joy on your face. You always look like you are totally enjoying your life. And isn’t that’s what it’s all about!
Great job!
Hoo wow! Congratulations! And go get warm!!
🙂
e
You are insane, in the best possible way.
Fantastically joyful picture of you!
That looks very, very cold. But yay for you!
good for you!! must have been a really good feeling to accomplish such a feat in such terrible conditions. i’d hate to be up in your neck of the woods right now! hopefully you guys aren’t still getting pounded. i’m right in syracuse and just hoping with this storm coming in tues night/wed that we won’t be in as rough shape as oswego has been!
I think that you can put Vaseline or some such thing on your face to help keep it from chapping and wind burn. You may want to check it out.
Way to go, crazy runner lady!