Why are all these Santas Chasing Me?!

There are times when having Crohn's means making some conscious decisions prior to a race, some of which other runners may not need to think of. That said, there are some things that all runners can relate to. One of those things being the pre-race need for port-o-potties. And I'm trying to decide which is worse... needing to use one before a race on a particularly HOT day... or, as experienced a couple weekends ago, needing to use one before a race on a particularly COLD day. Both are terrible, but nothing tenses up the muscles like sitting on a cold toilet seat in that's been sitting in 30℉ (or colder!) weather for the last day.

My sisters and I have finished our last 'official' race of the year, and the third in the brand new Ho-Ho-Holiday series put on by the Hartford Marathon Foundation. First was two 5ks in the first weekend of December, followed by a 2.5 Miler in the second weekend. Everyone who ran the 2.5 Miler received a full Santa suit, resulting in a somewhat mesmerizing sea of red during the run.

While the full Santa suit was some pretty sweet swag, I decided to go with something a little more... mint. Peppermint, to be precise.

And yes, I ran with the candy cane.

And yes, I may have had an ulterior motive to the candy cane. My younger sister always JUST beats me... I had to take things into my own hands this time around.

Despite being the hardest to get out of a nice, warm bed for, early winter runs can be some of the most fun. They're usually holiday-themed, meaning that everyone is in a good mood, and the festive swag and food make finishing that much more exciting. Sure, there's bananas and granola (the latter of which I have to avoid), but more importantly... sugar cookies, hot cocoa, and warm chili or soup are (un)surprisingly satisfying after a cold run.

Especially when it is not only cold but raining.

Of course, each of the three races had its own swag. But if a long-sleeve shirt, a warm beanie, and a 5-piece Santa Suit weren't enough, doing all three earned you a cute little ornament.

It's the little things in life. Really.

I'd say that these runs gave us an excuse to eat more during our Christmas parties, but with all the sugar cookies, we probably just broke even. The series proved to be a fun, brisk set of runs that helped get us into the holiday spirit. And it didn't hurt to have the Big Guy himself waiting for us at the finish line!

Merry Christmas from Santa and the Smith sisters!