On Friday afternoon I sent a text to my best friend who just returned from a weeklong trip. I had made tentative plans to go see her upon her return but decided to stay home.
“I’m running a 5K in the morning,” I texted. “So I want to be well rested.”
“What in the actual hell?” she replied. “Things I never thought I’d hear you say.”
It’s true. I’m not a runner, and I barely like working out. It’s mostly just something I utilize for stress release.
And then there was ice cream.
Last year, I attended Monroe’s Frosty Nose, Cold Toes event with my husband and son. We wanted to support our friend Lynn Donahue, owner of Jersey Freeze, which sponsors the walk/run to raise funds for the Old Settlers celebration. Counting on a serving of Jersey Freeze ice cream following the event also help solidify my support.
It was beautiful last year — warm temperatures, little breeze. The long-sleeved T-shirts provided to participants were enough to keep you warm. We walked the route and enjoyed the ice cream afterward.
This year, I made plans to attend with one of my runner friends because I know he enjoys that kind of thing. It was dumb on my part — the previous week he had posted on social media about what a great day he’d had running 10 miles. Ten. Yeah ...
Regardless, I wanted to participate again, and I wanted to run it this time.
But then on Saturday, I woke up to about a half an inch of snow and frigid conditions. An app on my phone said it felt like 7 degrees out. Seven. Yeah ...
So this year frosty nose, cold toes would ring true. So be it — I dressed in layers, picked up the running man and headed over to Monroe. When we arrived the music was pumping, the Jersey Freeze van was parked out front of CJ’s Bar & Grill and everyone was in good spirits.
As we registered, I noticed some new additions, namely a Bloody Mary bar. I was tempted to toss my running shoes aside and hang out with some Monroe friends instead of cruising through the 3.1-mile run. But, I had committed and I figured we could enjoy an adult beverage afterward.
As we lined up for the race my friend began sizing up the competition and taking a place at the front of the pack. I should have known then it just wasn’t going to work out. I kept saying things like “slow and steady,” and he was talking about personal records.
After the first mile, as it became increasingly clear I was holding him back, I told him to just go on without me. And did he ever. I lost sight of him shortly afterward and settled into my slow pace. My goal soon became to beat the pair of middle school girls and an older gentleman who were keeping a similar stride.
The weather wasn’t as much of a burden as I thought it would be, and I like the route that takes you around the community of Monroe to places you typically don’t see when you’re driving through.
As I neared the finish line, my friend was there cheering me on. I was glad to be nearly done. Then, the middle school girls completely tried to steal my thunder — they started coming up behind me in an attempt to beat me. I wasn’t having any of it. I took off in a sprint and completed my goal — I beat the young girls and the old man. (Meanwhile, my friend took third in his age division. Eye roll.)
And then there was ice cream.
Contact Abigail Pelzer
at apelzer@newtondailynews.com