There with bells on! Jolly Jaunt 5K, Boston

I turned up to the Jolly Jaunt 5K in Boston wearing a pink beanie. This may have been a mistake. In a sea of festive red and green, I stood out like, well, someone wearing a pink beanie.

The red green show. (One for the Canadians.)

While it may have appeared as though I didn’t get the message about the dress code, my headgear had more to do with the fact that I didn’t fancy riding the train alone looking like an elf (this 5K was a solo affair, as Hubby was off Guarding). I assume the woman who turned up as a Christmas tree didn’t have to subject herself to the indignities of public transport. Or maybe she just has more balls. (Balls, get it? She’s a Christmas tree! Oh dear.)

Jingle all the way. Yes, really …

Bells on her toes ...

My performance notwithstanding, this run was enjoyable for a number of reasons, not least because we were all there to support Special Olympics Massachusetts – a worthy beneficiary. There were also folks dressed in all manner of festive finery: the aforementioned Christmas tree; boxed presents (not easy to run in, I imagine, although I think they beat me); elf duds; and an abundance of red and white striped tights (somewhere, Raggedy Ann is wandering why her legs are so chilly). I am pleased to report that there wasn’t a turkey hat in sight (I am much less disturbed by fuzzy reindeer antlers).

But the best part (it doesn’t take much to amuse me) were the teeny bells that we pinned on to our sneakers, letting us jingle as we jaunted. I’m sure the folks along Commonwealth Avenue appreciated the 800 or so mini-bell-tollers running down their street; sure beat the sound of traffic. I hadn’t run in Boston proper before, either, which in itself was quite a thrill.

Course route, courtesy of jollyjaunt.org

No hills, so what gives?

You would think this being my 12th (12th!) 5K, I would finally be hitting my stride. But this damn cold weather has beaten my lungs into submission, for now, and I walked frequently after the first mile (although my Nike+ GPS informed that my pace for said mile was 10.20. Whoa!). I can’t even say that my old nemesii, the hills, were to blame, as this course was pretty flat.

My time was fine. It’s the fastest I have gone, but I have posted the exact same result twice before. And I was right at the back of the pack.

Note to self: Next time, dress as an elf. You will go faster.

The event: Jolly Jaunt 5K
The location: Boston, MA
The date: December 3, 2011
My time: 35.30
The T-shirt: Blue long-sleeved cotton shirt
The aftermath: Apples, bananas, granola bars