Elorapalooza 5K Race

*Note: this is a non-crafty post so for all of my blog friends who just want to see that...just skip this post :)

Today I signed up for the Elorapalooza 5K.  The proceeds of the race jointly benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Elora's HOPE Foundation.  Elora was a special needs 7th grader in our area who passed away from Leukemia.  Despite her physical limitations, she loved to participate in 5K races and encourage other racers.  This race continues her legacy and raises money for two great causes.  Perfect!

I headed out to the race early this morning and was greeted with VERY cold temps: 42 brrr!

As I sat in my car, I was seriously wondering if I had lost my mind when I could have been warm in my bed.  (Thank goodness I had extra clothes too because I need to double up on the long sleeve shirts!)  But, despite the frigid temps and the fact that my lungs were burning by the end of it....it was a lot of fun.  It was a huge turnout for a great cause.  And....I did better than my last race (even though I didn't feel as great at the end!)

5k finish: 23:01:20, 7:25 min/mile; 1st in age group (35-39), 5th female finisher and 26th overall:

One of my favorite parts of this race was the "medals"----they were handcrafted pottery necklaces with a heart on it created by disabled artisans at The Clayworks at Disability Supports. The attached card tells me all about the gentleman who handcrafted it.  It is my most prized medal for sure.  Here is a sweaty, cold me sporting my medal: 

 Whew!  I'm tired :)  Hope you enjoy your day!
Thanks for stopping by!