Jingle Ball Run in Ellicot City, MD

Last weekend I ran the Jingle Bell Run in Ellicot City's Centennial Park. I hadn't run a race since April or May during the Crystal City 5K Friday series, so I wanted to see in what kind of shape I was during the winter months.

I went with my friend, Tom, who ran with me in high school. Getting to the race was a little chaotic since there were way more runners than anticipated. This was more of a fun race than it was competetive, with there being no chipped time.

The course was slightly hilly and scenic, running around the lake. There really were a lot of jingle balls tied to people's shoe laces so you could hear when someone was approaching from behind. Ultimately I finished with a 18:49 time, which was over 30 seconds slower than my time in the spring. I also came in fifth overall, so that tells you how not competetive it was. I also learned that I need to keep my eyes open when posing for cameras.

You can see more race photos HERE.