Torchlight 5K!

What a fun event!

I will know better for next year.  It was hot (to be expected it's July in Minnesota)!  My good friend D and I did it.  I should have pushed myself more, I would have done better(Duh).  We left my house a little late.  My fault, I wasn't paying attention really.  This run did not loop back to the beginning, which is a little different, and not really a big deal.  We dropped one car off around the finishing area, and we parked another around the start.  We barely made it in time for the starting gun.



My good friend D on the left, and me at the start!



One of the fun things about the Torchlight Run, was that we were able to personalize our bib numbers if you signed up early enough.  Mine was Slow&Steady, and my friend D's was Turtle Pace - she has a thing for Turtles, and they kind of went together, so.. it's funny - no really.  Laugh! Also what was super neat, were the shirts (you can see it a little in the upper right photo).  They were SUPER soft with that vintage-y feel to them.

The finish was just after you crossed the Stone Arch Bridge, which was nice.  I did see a couple of girls literally making out.  Now, I don't care that they were girls, I care that you are SUCKING FACE in a public place.  I hate that - so gross.  Once we finished there were some goodies at the finish, and as a runner/participant, you had a couple free drink tickets to use.

My good friend D and I didn't stick around, she wasn't feeling well, so we basically just went to her car, and she dropped me off at the parking ramp I was in.  I paid at the bottom before returning to my car (like it instructs you to do) and it says you have 15 minutes to exit the ramp.  I took the elevator to my floor, get off, and hear a marching band.  A Marching Band!?

So I went to the edge of the parking ramp and saw a the parade was going on!  Oh man... if I had known/realized that it was going to be just starting by the time I got back, I wouldn't have paid my my parking pass, and would have just gone down to watch it.  The Torchlight parade is one of, if not THE largest evening parade.  And from what I saw briefly - they had a few marching bands, most parades seem to be all about advertising, floats/cars for businesses.  I miss marching bands. 

Next year I will know better for sure!