Over 400 people were out in Easton Saturday morning running their hearts out!  Greenswell and OSU Ross Heart Hospital have teamed up to help Central Ohio be heart strong with a series of events held throughout the year, all of which raise funds for cardiac and pulmonary research at Ohio State.  Keep watch for more to come at Greenswell.com.  It was a twisty race with a fair number of spectators (interpret: people stuck in traffic), a flat track leading to decent times, and brunch to celebrate the finish!  Now that's my kind of race!

It was a balmy 55 degrees when we stepped over the start line of the Jingle Bell Run with hoards of Jinglers big and small!  The weather sure didn't feel like Christmas, but the sound of bells and trampling feet may have been reminiscent of reindeer games at the North Pole!  With tasty soup, bread, fruit, and awesome yogurt parfaits at the finish line, we were motivated to run PRs this month.  This is significant because it's the last race of the year; time for some new goals in 2013!  What about your goals?  Perhaps coming out to join us in the spring?  Keep an eye on the calendar for upcoming wintery events!  See you out there!

We just missed a picture with Santa...

Feasting on the bounty after a PR!

What a great day for a run!  Clear, crisp, and raising funds to help people exercise!  We ran into a few OPTA members out there, but could not score a group picture.

For Emily, it was a walk in the park

Jacque has a strong finish

Lauren took on the 50K, smiling!

Join us for the last Rally Race of 2012 with the Jingle Bell Run.  I look forward to jingling all the way ;)

Please RSVP by clicking here!  ***Warning, this link may be blocked by your firewalls at work, if so, consider performing this function from a personal computer***

Congratulations to all of the finishers of the half and full Columbus Marathons!  There were a lot of you out there and I was on the sidelines cheering you on despite only seeing a few of you.  I was inspired by the number of runners that were shouting support for me when I was there to support them.  People in these races are just the best!  Thanks!

		Mile 25.5
Lauren is a finisher!		Lois and Bala headed for the finish line!

                            

What a gorgeous morning for a 5k!  The air was crisp and clean, the crowd was ready to roll, and some of our friends completed their first ever 5k race! All participants received one of the softest shirts I've ever owned (you can get one too by running a Greenswell race, they're worth it).  Proceeds from the event went to a charity called CHAARG which provides college aged women a group to turn to when striving to be healthy and well, fighting off negative body images, and empowering their spirits.  Don't forget to register for the upcoming October RALLY RACE and join the fun in costume!  See the calendar for details. 

Louise finishes triumphantly!                                                                                                                                                                                                Chocolate milk recovery for Eric                                                                             
Mike telling the story of his battle wound                                     Great race everyone!

Many of you are here to put your email address in for the upcoming tailgate, you can do so here.

 While you're here, check out the 5kOPTA  website and see what we've been up to this year in the "News and Activities" and what's coming up in the future on the "Event Calendar".   We've got a great 5k coming up on September 16th to benefit CHAARG as part of Greenswell's Wellness in the Woods Series. 

Creating Healthy Attitudes, Activities, Recreation for Girls (CHAARG) is a all-female club at The Ohio State University with the goal to change the mentality that girls have about fitness. CHAARG wants girls to get excited about exercising, eating healthy, and overall being happy with how they feel about themselves. CHAARG wants to show girls that fitness can be fun and that there are tons of different ways to achieve “fun”. The CHAARG 5K is a fundraiser and 100% of the proceeds go to them!

The Bull Run for Nationwide Children's Hospital was this past weekend and it was a good time had by all!  The kids chased down mascots led by seeing-eye-humans, the music was pumping, and after a slightly muggy run we enjoyed Dilly bars from DQ while fraternizing with baby animals from the zoo.  The Bull Run raises funds so that NCH can provide above and beyond care for the children and families looking for comfort in difficult times.   Thanks to those of you who came out to run!

Race season is starting to see the thick of it... Congrats to the half marathoners last weekend at the Cap City!  Everyone finished!  It was a warm day, but the music was pumping, the streets were sticky with Gu, and the cheers from the sidelines were strong.  Thanks to all of you who came out. 


I'm working on updating the calendar for the rest of the summer.  If you know a great race in your area, let me know.  For example, the Brain Injury Association is holding a 5k this weekend at Sharon Woods.  Bring the kiddos and get them professionally fitted with a bike helmet.  Maybe they will even run in them for the kids' run, what a fun picture that would be!