Are we having fun? Tracy decks the halls for the Holly Jolly 5K

It’s been a lot of years since I did anything approximating a “fun run.” I think of that as a run you get into character for, like the time I wore a witch costume for a Halloween 10K. That was back in 2014! Here’s me.

I can’t remember if I actually had fun, but regardless, I’m doing a seasonal fun run again and I plan to enjoy the experience.

This time it’s the Christmas-themed Holly Jolly Fun Run in Toronto on November 22. It’s the day of the Santa Claus parade. The run follows the same 5K route as the parade, leaving about 45 minutes before the parade itself. If you ever been to a Santa Claus parade you’ll know that means a built in crowd of spectators! Not to mention the 2500 runners.

I feel energized just thinking about it!

The race description calls on everyone to “dress silly.” I’m not a big costume person but I do have green and red striped knee socks and a green and red striped hat (sort of elf like I guess). If the weather is cool enough, which is not a bad bet for November 22, I’ll wear a red fleecy top I bought for winter running ages ago. Every time I dress for winter running it loses out to its competitor tops, so I’ve rarely worn it.

It’s a popular event that (according to the website) usually sells out. With your entrance fee, you get a custom winter hat and a finisher medal. The parade usually attracts about 500,000 spectators, so the organizers promise the most “spirited” run you’ll ever experience.

It’s the first time I’ll have done an event that doesn’t start and end in the same place. They have a bag check system using trucks that leave the start line for the finish line at 11:25 a.m.

My last 5K in September yielded results that made me happy and also made me want to do better. So my training goal for the Holly Jolly is to shave 40 seconds off of that result, for a clean 35:00 5K, run continuously rather than with a walk break. We’ll see. You get a timing chip, so I will have an accurate race result when it’s over.

I’m mostly process-oriented in my training, keeping to my three quality runs a week — speed work, tempo, and a longer run. I’d like to include the swimming cross-training, but I’ve had some problems with my ears that make me fearful of the pool right now. I’m experimenting with different ear plugs but I had one unsuccessful attempt that left me nervous.

Regardless, the running is going well and I’m feeling excited to do the fun run.

Here’s the route. Even the map looks fun:

If you’re interested, registration is through Race Roster and it’s $72.38 (non-refundable). The run starts at 11:45 a.m. sharp on Sunday, November 22. Race-kit pick-up on the Friday and Saturday (no same-day race-kit pick-up).