Twelve Alaskan Days of Christmas

We thought we would venture into the virtual world...again!  

Mostly we just want a fun way to finish out 2020.  Let's face it.  It's been an overall crummy year that we ALL want to be over.

This is a 31 day long challenge with a few twists.  We will provide you with a list of 12 tasks to complete, either before, during, or after your walk or run.  All must be done on separate days (except for one exception listed below.)  Not only is it a race to get the fun tasks completed, you will also be logging your miles for the distance portion!  

The ultimate mileage goal for everyone?  62 miles for the whole month, or two miles a day.  We know everyone is busy with the holiday season but it never hurts to have an attainable goal!  It's also a distance that is attainable by walkers OR in really bad conditions outside no matter how busy your holidays become!

Both the miles and the tasks must be completed between December 1st and December 31st.  Your rewards?  Well, one of Jen from Finnishing Touch's super cute medals to start!  (you know, she makes them for us for Valley Thaw Out Races, Hatcher, and Archangel!)  Also snuggly, comfy sweatpants with an as-yet-to-be-determined winter design.  How best to finish a challenge than in something warm and fuzzy?  There might even be another gift or two in there as well.

How are we going to keep track of things?  

• You will self report your miles here for starters.  There will be a link on the RunSignup page for this event for you to self report.  More to come on this as challenge month gets closer!
• Pictures.  We WANT them.  I will create a Facebook group to post your challenge pics!  I will be making that list and checking it twice.  If you don't have Facebook please be prepared to email them my way.  Or text them.  They are your proof.  We really want to end the year on a fun note so goofy pictures are a definite bonus.  I'll figure out the bookkeeping for that on my end of things over the next couple months!

Once you complete the miles AND the tasks, then we will mail out your goodies...or meet somewhere... or whatever works best!

So what exactly are these tasks you speak of???  Well first you need to run a half marathon in the unplowed snow.  And then do a marathon in -10F.   And then we expect you to come up with your own Polar Plunge.

Joking.  They're way more fun than that!  These can be completed in ANY order.  You cannot double or triple them up on one day!  The exception is number 5.

1. Take a pic in front of Christmas lights somewhere on your route.  Lights on is preferable.  It can even be your own house!
2. Make a snow angel at the end of your run.  Or during.  Or before I guess. (I hope we have snow this December.)
3. Take a pic in front of any decorated Christmas tree.  Outside preferable.
4. Pose with a reindeer. Real (from a safe distance) or fake!  Even Sven on the big screen would count.  Be creative on this one.
5. Run in daylight as well as dark (properly illuminated of course).  Because it's winter in AK, you can do both these on either 1 or 2 days!
6. Complete at least 1 mile in an active snowfall.
7. Picture of a bird in a tree.  Kudos if you can find a partridge or even a pigeon.
8. Pic of a decked-out house somewhere on you route.  Fine...you can drive to it if you live more remote but only after your run!
9. Ugly sweater 5k.  Either your own fun version or an organized one.  This is the one day you MUST do more than 2 miles minimum.
10. Hang a pretty random ornament somewhere it will get smiles.  Not promoting littering.  Promoting joy.
11. Run when it's below 20 degrees outside.  Layer appropriately.
12. Donate something.  Clothes, food, time... your call.  Feel the season.

So none of those are too bad are they?

There will be email updates with more info about logging miles and pics, etc as we get closer to December.  In the meantime, start plotting your pic strategy for all those fun poses we're sure to see!

And hopefully, just hopefully... more real races than virtuals right???