Muses

Lake Lanier Under the Lights 5K. Worth breaking “the rules.”

Our youngest is 11 years old. I’ve written before how he’s my last holdout, my last buddy. I realize that time is quickly (and probably already has) slipping away.

Okay. That’s not clear. He’s my last child I can talk into hanging out with mom and participating in organized fun.

For example, he and I are a team for the Ronald McDonald House race. And I often procrastinate enthusiastically scan the internet for local 5Ks we can do together. That’s how I happened upon Lanier Under the Lights 5K.

Lake Lanier is a resort 30 minutes north of Atlanta. For us, that meant a 90 minute drive. But what’s an hour and a half of riding in a car for a chance to run through holiday lights?

They hold this race the Saturday and Sunday before the park opens the light show to car traffic.

Joe and I headed that was last Sunday afternoon.

This was at the start. Notice the castle in the background. Oz-ian I think.

 

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It was misty and chilly, which added to the cheery winter mood.

Cheery winter mood?

Yes. I got caught up in the lights and the little whiff of Santa in the air.

This required suspending my long and fast rule: NO Christmas before Thanksgiving. I surprised myself how easy it was to drift into that mum-of-a-little-child-at-Christmas haze.

 

The official start.

They had waves which was a good thing. Lots and lots of children. Serious runners were up front followed by mid-pace runners, joggers, walkers and entire young families pushing toddlers in strollers.

 

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A few photos.

 

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These pics aren’t conveying the excited children chatting to parents. Parents encouraging their child to run to the next reindeer. The young 20-somethings running in packs.  I knew that when I was snapping away. But I had to try.

My partner never likes me to stop and take a pic.

Notice the green glow-stick stuck in his curls.

 

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The course is hilly. I knew that from a ZOOMA half marathon my friends and I ran there.

We ran; we walked with hundreds of other peeps in search of a pre-holiday buzz.

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And had a great time.

The lake is down there somewhere.

 

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A thumb way up!

Don’t know what I’ll do next year if my then 12 year old won’t do this race with me.

:/   <– Mommy angst.

How about you? Will you join me?

 

           

           

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