We had a busy weekend -- the 3rd Annual Plunge for Preemies on Saturday
and the March Hare Hop on Sunday.
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They asked people to come in costume. This is Jill in her unicorn costume...
and you can see some others on the beach also came in costume.
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Lots of people wore costumes to the plunge. (Nope, I didn't -- maybe next
year.)
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So here we are, a few minutes before everyone got together and all ran into the water. If we look cold,
it is because it was a bit chilly to be dressed (or not dressed) like we were. But it was much colder when we
ran into the water. That's Kevin and his girlfriend between Jill and Jeremy. Kevin and Jeremy have been
friends since grade school -- Kevin's father was scout master of the Boy Scout troop and the Venture Scout
troop they were in -- and we've always called Kevin our other son. They are both general managers of restaurants
with the same owner. Kevin runs a Mexican restaurant and Jeremy runs a burger place and the new
grilled cheese sandwich shop.
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Gathering before the plunge... a videographer was explaining how he was
hoping to have the costumed people plunge together. I think he was hoping
to make his video a Harlem Shake kind of thing... but I don't know if it
worked for him or not... I think most people were too cold once they got
in the water to think about anything beyond getting out of the water.
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And on Sunday came the annual running of the Kelley's Pace March Hair Hop 3 Mile Run down in Old Mystic Village in Connecticut.
This race has been held every year for around thirty years or so. Jill and I first ran it in 1997 (running
during a snow storm -- and two weeks later I was running a 5K in Australia in 90+ degree temperatures)
and one or the other or both of us have run it almost every year since then. This year I couldn't run (On
Saturday I walked a one mile loop through our neighborhood and jogged the second quarter mile in that loop...
so I am hoping to work my way up to being able to try a 5K by late April.)
As you can see, Jill was psyched for the race...
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On your mark.... (SHERRO = Southern New England Road Race Officials, a
company that has provided race organization and timing services for more
than half a century.)
By the way, this race and the Camire's Firecracker 4-Miler in Wakefield, RI (July 4th) are
organized and sponsored by Mary Camire, owner and operator of
Kelley's
Pace running store in Mystic and Camire's Running Soles in Wakefield. If you are looking for running shoes, shorts, shirts, socks, and related paraphernalia, those are good places to shop and to support a business that supports local runners and running events.
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Coming down the home stretch... The guy running next to Jill asked her
if she had enough left for a kick to the finish line... and he picked up
the pace... little did he know that Jill has always loved finding energy
for a kick to the finish...
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And, as you can see, she put some daylight between them on her way to the
finish line... She took 1st place in the female 30-39 age group (last year
she was 2nd in female 20-29).
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And, of course, we had to follow our tradition that night of paying a visit to Fat Belly's Pub here in Wakefield for nachos and hot wings and 10 Penny Ale. (Well, Jill switched to Guinness for her second, but I stuck with 10 Penny for both of mine.)
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