The Trip to Get the "Major Award!"

Look at this! It's a thing of beauty! Why, 'it's a major award!' These words continue to swim through my head as I physically and mental prepare for the race that I will have traveled the farthest to do, thus far. Cleveland, OH, the city on Lake Erie, home of the Cleveland Browns, home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and yes, home to that famous house where one small boy's mother proclaimed, upon his announcement of all he wanted for Christmas was a Red Ryder BB gun (with a compass in the stock and a thing which tells time), "You'll shoot your eye out!" Yes, that's correct folks-- I'm traveling 5.5 hours to run in a 6.2 mile race (a little further than this according to the information on the AChristmasStory.com website). I'm beyond stoked! I, like so many of us who are children of baby boomers, grew up with this movie and can recite whole scenes from the film. I can tell you that it was Aunt Clara who made Ralphie's pink bunny suit, what the secret message is from the Ovaltine Little Orphan Annie secret decoder ring, and what Ralphie's little brother eats at the dinner table one evening. The film is like a snugly blanket, warm and inviting and familiar. When TBS plays the movie in a loop starting on Christmas Eve and running through Christmas Day, I turn it on-- not even caring that I've seen it at least 100 times. It never gets old-- it's nostalgic and comfortable. I never wanted a Red Ryder BB gun as a child, but I get it-- that one item that was all I wanted for Christmas and I would do anything to get it.
This race has become my "Red Ryder BB gun" this year. Originally thinking that the race was too far and that I would never be able to spring for the cost to go, I've managed to register for the race, get a hotel room and am currently trying to bribe people to come with me. It is a little crazy to travel so far just to run, but it's something that is totally unique. On top of all of this, check out the finisher's medal above! The t-shirt is pretty rad too! A leg lamp adorns one of the sleeves and leg lamps grace the front like Rockettes standing in formation. I'm ignorant when it comes time to knowing the history of this race, but if it hasn't taken off like wildfire yet-- just wait until the news starts to spread that there is this amazing running race where you get to run from the town public square, out to the famous house where "A Christmas Story" was filmed, past the department store where Santa said to Ralphie that he'd "shoot his eye out, kid" and back downtown.