Rondy Madness

I think it's complete, utter madness to be up and about before 7am on a weekend - or any day that I don't have to go to work, for that matter.  So today definitely counts as madness.  But at least it's for a good reason, and there are a few perks: friends, bacon, coffee...

Stacy & James picked me up so we could go to breakfast before standing in the cold and wind to watch the Frostbite Footrace.  This is an annual event - part of the Fur Rondy celebration - and the milestone of Greg's first race.  This is the third year that he's participated, and three years ago it was the first race he'd ever run.  Way to go, Greg!  Those of us not racing went to Snow City Cafe for breakfast and some wake-me-up - or, as Stacy calls it, "the sweet ambrosia that is coffee" - YUM!  (And I've never yet had poorly cooked bacon here - yay!!)

One of the things I like the best about this race is the creativity of the participants.  I love seeing the costumes!  There are definitely some serious runners - the first to finish completed the race while there were loads of people who hadn't yet finished the first circuit - but there are also lots of people out to have a good time (and the two are not necessarily mutually exclusive - altho none of the costume-wearers were early finishers).

While it wasn't as cold as last year, there was a breeze which took the temperature down a few notches.  I'm so glad James brought hand-warmers!  I'd thought of my fur head-wrap, long johns, gloves, warm socks and shoes, and a sweatshirt under my coat, but those hand-warmers really helped keep me toasty.  I think I may need to invest in a better pair of long-johns though, since the heat of the laptop is causing a little sting as the cold leaves my legs.  Didn't realize I was quite *that* cold until I've been home warming up for an hour or so...

Greg and Jeff finished their runs in about a half hour, and we were off to Second Breakfast - back to Snow City.  I don't get downtown very often, and I think this restaurant is forever linked in my mind as the place to go before (and after, apparently) the Frostbite Footrace.

 

It's good that we had a chance to warm up.  The ice in Jeff's hair thawed, Stacy's glasses cleared up, and James found he still has toes.  And now I'm just about ready for an afternoon nap to make up for even thinking about being out of bed so terribly early on a weekend...