It’s Monday and I don’t know about ya’ll, but my Jingle feels Jolly’ed. On Saturday Woodlands hosted our 2nd Annual Jingle Jolly 5k Run/Walk where 60+ costumed kids of all ages gathered despite the rainy weather to check out the lights on foot at Cherry & Greystone Lane in Medford, eat chili and cookies, drink PG & Rated-R cider, and donate pet food, supplies, and money to benefit Southern Oregon Humane Society. This was good old fashioned, wholesome fun and just one way to say thank you to this incredible Southern Oregon community for an epic 2019.
Speaking of an epic 2019, as we were cleaning up from the event on Saturday we were struck with equal parts awe and exhaustion. Awe at how big this scrappy group of runners has gotten even as we all balance work, family, friendships, obligations, and other adulty AF things. Awe at how, with all these competing priorities, we came together to host over 200 events from group runs to volunteering at aid stations, from trail building to girls weekends, and even our very first and brand new race in Twin Peaks Trail Runs. There was social media posting, website updating, babysitters to hire, countless grocery shopping trips and reconciliation of the receipts from said grocery shopping all done by volunteers. For Woodlands to exist it truly takes a village. While everyone does it for their own reasons, we can all agree on one thing: it’s TOTALLY worth it. The friendship, laughter, tears, breaks in nature to just be and to adventure with one another. Dang, we’re so lucky and yes, so in awe of what can be done when we all work together.
I did say equal parts awe and exhaustion didn’t I? Awww yes, there is that. The 7:45 PM Saturday night post-Jingle Jolly crash into bed was a sign that we need to take our own advice to train hard and recover hard, so for the rest of December, we’ll be sending out just the running schedule via email and will return in January with a fresh mind and fresh legs with a weekly newsletter.
We hope to ring in the new year with many of you on January 1st at 10:00 AM at the top of Pioneer St. at the yellow gate in Ashland the New Year’s Day 2020 20k. As always, all paces welcome - we just want to be together and high five how awesome we all are and how awesome this place is that we live.
Thank you thank you thank you. See you in 2020. #bestyearever
