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Winter Flakes 2022
A couple of needed changes for Winter Flakes
The same great race you know about has a couple of changes for 2022. You can still register for a 10K, 5K, or 1-mile distance, and walkers are always welcome. The route will be the same as in years past, but we’re scheming to change that in 2023.
There is a price increase for some runners and walkers, depending on age. What can we say? It was time. We’ve been the cheapest race around, and with increased costs this year, the decision was made to increase the entry fee by $5. However, that doesn’t apply to kids!
No, the really good news is for parents registering kids under the age of 12. If you register your little kids online, a discount is applied, so the entry fee is only $10 for each! And just like with adult registration, t-shirts are guaranteed for those who register before the deadline of February 11th.
Couch to 5K runs again
Yes, it’s a training program!
Back for its fourth installment is the Couch to 5K Training program. And here’s why you should not immediately think this isn’t for you and stop reading: it is designed for people who are not currently physically active. Again: your activity level to start this program is really zilch! It’s okay if you have physical activity built into your routine right now too, but it really focuses on you couch potatoes (AKA: sloths); those of us who are inactive.
A brief overview, so you know what you’re getting into
Couch to 5K is a program that includes gradual increases in physical activity over the course of 8 weeks. It culminates with the Winter Flakes 5K Race on February 26, 2022. It begins on December 29, 2021, but the commitment those first few days isn’t substantial. In fact, the gradual increases make much of the training program very pleasant, and you’ll be amazed at how your endurance and strength improves throughout the training.
One key element in all of this is accountability. We don’t just throw you to the wolves with a training schedule and a smile. Nope! We will gather and run together! We’ll be meeting outside in the artic! Well, it will likely feel like the artic some days because it is a training program that runs through January and February, but don’t let that deter you. We have had Winter Haters participate and complete the program without issue. (We’ll give you tips for surviving the chilly weather too.)
Not only will you go through this experience with a group, but you’ll have fearless leaders too. Megan will send reminders each day, along with some tips, recipes, and other goodies. We’ll also schedule the gatherings each week, which will vary depending on weather and schedules. Most of the time, we try to meet on Saturdays at Walther Park. This is good because it allows us to train on the same course that the race will follow.
Now, if you aren’t a runner, that’s okay too. This is for people who want to give it a try and for those who have fallen off the running wagon, so to speak. This is your chance to experience running, meet new people, and strive to reach new health goals in 2022, which is something everyone is looking forward to doing!
In fact, if the pandemic has taught us nothing, we should have learned by now that we need to take better care of ourselves!
The Couch to 5K program costs $50 and includes the Winter Flakes 5K registration and t-shirt. Participants will receive a stylish accessory and other participation prizes along the way! The weekly gatherings will be weather permitting, but it is the Winter Flakes Race! Youth must have parental consent.
All proceeds benefit Get Healthy DeSoto programming, including trail development, Walking School Bus, community gardens, and more. Ready to register? Complete the form below or register online.
*As always, please consult with your healthcare provider before starting any nutritional or physical programs if you have any previous, current or possible medical conditions. These guidelines, recommendations and suggestions are not stated to cure, treat or prevent any diseases or conditions.
Brought to you by Get Healthy De Soto and the Jefferson County Health Department…working together for better health.
Heading into the holidays with something different this year
I’m looking forward to Christmas this year with something between a sense of dread and a desire to just skip the holiday. I doubt that I am alone either.
Even in families that are healthy, the holiday is creating stress that wasn’t there last year. The separation that happened last year has created an unrealistic expectation that we find the perfect recipe, give the perfect gift, and wear the perfect outfit. For families like mine, we’re dealing with the first holidays where family members long-deemed “essential” are missing; mourning the loss of those who have passed away.
This season should bring about some level of peace, but we really stack the deck against ourselves sometimes. Here are things you should consider doing to bring some peace to your holiday regardless of how perfect or imperfect your family might be.
- There is not going to be a perfect holiday this year or any other year. Give up on the idea of “perfect”. Consider this: you are not going to change the life of your sister-in-law by giving her a great gift wrapped up in beautiful paper with just the right amount of curl in the ribbon. Take the pressure off, and give yourself permission to focus on the people you’ll see instead of the things you’ll do, wear, or give.
- Make due with less, not out of some sort of austerity measure, but to direct your focus on quality time with the people you care about. Spend less money by worrying less about the gift and focusing on the person.
- Shop differently. Buy local and handmade. And when you do purchase gifts online, see if the online retailer you use has information about companies that refuse child labor or use environmentally sustainable practices. Be educated about what your purchase supports.
- Give a gift that makes a difference. Give food to the food pantry, toys to the Jefferson County Foster Children’s Fund, gift cards to A Safe Place. One of my favorites is to give bees and goats in honor of my nieces and nephews through Heifer International. And if you can’t afford a monetary gift, give your time. The pantry frequently needs help sorting items, and organizations often have “honey-do” lists of things that need to be done but don’t have the people to do it.
- Visit with a lonely person. I would provide suggestions for where to find lonely people, but the reality is that you don’t need my suggestions. We all know lonely people.
- The pandemic has taught us things, right? Hasn’t it taught us that life can be so short? Give the gift of forgiveness. Offer some mercy to someone that you thought you couldn’t. You can even forgive someone who is no longer part of your life. Stop dwelling on things and move forward during this season.
Above all, enjoy the small things that are offered this season. One of the greatest joys I have is being able to drink a cup of coffee with my husband without herding children off to school. If we can enjoy just a few quiet minutes at the table before the horde awakens with all their daily demands, it’s a beautiful thing! It doesn’t happen every week, but it is wonderful when it does. Take joy in those small things; taking a walk, waving to a neighbor, reading a book, petting your dog. When you focus on the holiday season as an all-consuming thing to either plan for perfection or dread with sadness, you can lose sight of all of the other gifts that life offers every day. Do your best to focus on these and turn your attention to simple joy as much as possible.
Home Tour coincides with Small Business Saturday-we like it that way
Soap box time!
According to research completed by the University of Illinois and Harvard in May of 2020 (more than a year ago), more than 100,000 small businesses closed forever as the pandemic started taking its toll. That number has only grown, and if we truly believe that small businesses are the backbone of American (said every politician since the Industrial Revolution), then it’s time to put your money where your mouth is.
Shopping small businesses gives you lots of advantages, and these are just the basics:
- You’re buying from a real human. Bonus: when you call, you speak to a real person.
- You’re building a relationship. It gives you the ability to scoff when a new product is offered that you find distasteful and extol the wonders of something truly grand. (Try the peanut clusters at Just Be Kind Café. Trust me; you’ll like them…barring a peanut allergy.)
- You impact a family. The owner cares about you and appreciate your business. For example, our local florists rock at this. Every time I order flowers for a funeral, birthday, or other special occasion, Barry Yancy (Cherished Memories), Julie Ott (Drummonds Florist), or Richelle Zimmerman (Festus Flower Shoppe) always ask about my daughters, offer condolences as appropriate, or ask about some other aspect of my life. We’re lucky to have them and have established relationships with them.
- You impact our community. Shopping small businesses means you support the team of people that are employed there; building a local economy. To prove my point, think of all the adults who spent their teenage years serving the restaurant gods at Pogolino’s. It really makes you think, doesn’t it?
- You experience very personal gift giving. You’ll be getting something made with love, but even better, something made with great attention to detail. There is a personal level of care that goes into creating items, from the candle maker to the jewelry creator and beyond. Gift giving from a small business creates a personal touch and creates meaning for the gift recipient as well.
Small businesses are part of fueling the economy, and it is vital to support and shop at these businesses now more than ever. Which brings us to…
Small Business Saturday
Small Business Saturday is on November 27 this year. It is always the Saturday after Thanksgiving, just like the Christmas Home Tour! We hope your plan is to visit local homes and shop businesses along the way. This is particularly easy this year because almost all the homes are in town, and the one outside of town is just 5 miles away. We’re looking forward to it, and we hope you are too.
While tickets are still available, you can pick them up at DeSoto Public Library, Drummond Florist, Cherished Memories, First State Community Bank, Pogolino’s, Cottage Grove Quilt Company, and Books Galore in Festus!
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