This was the second year the Northern Lights Resolution Run was held. I actually ran it last year 2 months postpartum. I had so much fun the first year that I had to do it again this year.
It is (nearly) a 5K course with about 5 different sections of lights: Chinese lanterns in one section, a tunnel of rope lights, lighted arches (see the picture below), and just a lot of upbeat music, and a fun atmosphere.
I didn’t have many expectations going into the race. Last year it was extremely icy, and this year we had mild temperatures again which caused melting and some freezing rain. This left the streets pretty dicy all week. Thankfully we got a thin layer of snow earlier in the day to provide a least a little bit of traction. My plan was to enjoy the run and run it fairly hard.
The race was scheduled to start at 6 p.m. Craig had to work until 5 p.m., so by the time we got ready and drove to the start, it was a little after 5:30 p.m. I had Craig drop me off because there was no parking on the Alaska Pacific University campus, which is where the race started. I jogged to the start to pick up my bib. I should have picked up my bib earlier in the week, but since I wasn’t too concerned about my performance and it didn’t take me more than a few minutes last year to get it, I waited. Well, this year I waited about 20 minutes in line to get my bib. By this time I had no time left to warm-up, so all I could do was jog to the start. (I only ran about 0.4 of a mile by this time.)
I’m not sure exactly what time the race started, but it was delayed. I know the starters had to wait until the city bus had made its stop along the route before we could proceed with the race. Once the race got going though, I immediately changed my mind about ‘just running for fun.’ I, of course, decide I had to race.
We ran through the lights, around University Lake, on some trail portions, and through sections of upbeat music. All of these things did a great job of distracting me, which is always nice. I ran the whole way pretty hard and stuck with the 1st place girl throughout the course. I had passed her with less than a half of a mile left to go before she caught me on the very last trail portion that was too dark for me to see where I was stepping, so I had to slow down a bit. All in all it was a really fun even, and it made me really excited for racing this summer!
Of course my pictures don’t do justice, but this at least gives you a little idea of what this event it like. If you live in the area, I highly recommend doing this event. People came dressed in their brightest neon colors, lights, and reflective gear. Plus part of your swag bag includes a couple of light-up items. The energy was so fun, and I wish I could have had some apple cider afterwards, but I had a couple more miles to run before we headed to our NYE party.
Craig watched Cullen while I ran. Cullen loved dancing to the music. Next year we might even push him in the stroller through the course; I bet he would love all the lights.
