More silly running - Lightfest 8K

This time of year is what many runners consider to be the offseason.  During the offseason it's a time to forget about real training.  Running still happens, of course.  There are a bunch of holiday themed races and fun runs where people have fun and dress funny!  I ran a halloween 5K where I dressed in a big pumpkin shirt and spider knee socks!!  My "costume" was minimal compared to many of the participants. 
Last night was another fun event.  It was the Wayne County Lightfest 8K.  Lightfest is a drive through light display that opens this coming weekend.  On Tuesday of the week of the opening they have a run through the lights.  They say it's a dress rehearsal to make sure everything is in place but I think it's a ploy to get hundreds of people to pay $20 so they can pay the electric bill for all those lights!!  It's crazy how many people show up for this run.  It's not timed, there are no numbers, no chips, no winners; it's purely for fun.  I said to one of my running group friends that this proves that runners don't need much of an excuse to run!  I wore a string of christmas lights and a flashing bracelet and glow braclets around my wrists and a glow necklace on my head!! They give everyone a glow necklace to wear since it's a night run.  The first year I did this run the necklace bobbed up and down and hit my nose constantly.  The last 2 years I wrapped them around my lower leg but this year I saw someone else with theirs on their head so I tried it and found that it would stay there!!  This year was the warmest it has ever been for this race; it was 53 degrees!!  I only needed one layer!  It's usually cold.  Last year it was not only cold but rained the whole time and I remember being frozen and soaked.  I was really happy this year!! 

Before the run.
  When else can you wear Christmas lights and a glow thingy on your head in public and be perectly acceptable!



On the bus after the run with a running group friend

 This run is a point to point.  After the run busses take runners back to where we parked.  The bus had crazy music playing and had lights that flashed with the music and a strobe light somewhere down near the floor. 
So, that was fun!  I ran the 8K in just over 47 minutes which is pretty good for me these days.  I'm always amazed at how runs like these are always over so fast. 
In a couple of weeks I will be running another christmas themed run and I'm going to have my christmas lights again!!  I also have a pair of red and white striped knee socks to wear.  I was going to wear them last night but it was too warm at 53 degrees!  The week after that I have one more Christmas run; it's a women only run. 

This semester is winding down which cannot happen fast enough!  I had a good week last week!  I rocked a very difficult exam - I got 105%!!  I missed one so I actually got 98% but the teacher ended up throwing out 2 of the questions so I got an extra point for each of those since I got them right and there was 5 extra credit point problems which I got right!!  True nerd style!!! 

Runner Nerd
runs with lights!