Tacky.

Back around Thanksgiving Billy and I (and my sister Abby) had signed up to do the 6k Tacky Light Run here in RVA. It combined several of my favorite things: Running, Christmas lights, and my Sistatwin (oh and Billy). So what's not to love? And yes, I ran 4 miles with those blinking lights on my head. (And I was definitely one of the underdressed participants...I didn't have any actual Christmas lights on my person.)

I was not terribly excited about the weather, 40 degree rain, but runners know you run in any kind of weather, and one does not miss a race unless their leg is broken. Plus they were handing out cute little gingerbread house medals at the finish, as well as Christmas cookies. Talk about awesome post-race food. There was also a cookie stop at about mile 2. Amazing, even in the pouring rain. I won't turn down a cookie, soggy or not.

It was definitely fun once we got started. Standing around in the rain waiting to start wasn't fun, but once we got moving it wasn't bad at all and we warmed right up. There were tons of great decorated houses along the course...lots of tacky light. Also plenty of brave spectators who stood outside their homes to cheer us on and yell "Merry Christmas" to the hoards of soaking wet lunatics with blinking lights on themselves running through their neighborhood in the dark. Runners love to be a bit tacky, and they loved to be yelled at, so it was a perfect combo.

Of course, the mother in me is thinking: "the hooligans are going to LOVE all this blinking stuff when I get home!" The race organizers handed out glow bracelets and necklaces and headbands, etc. Abby even got blinking antlers. And as expected...the hooligans haven't taken it off since. (I did make them take them off for church this morning, however.) Tackiness....the gift that keep on giving. ;)