First 5k!!!!!
June 13, 2011
It was a last-minute thing.
I had thought of running this race earlier in the year but then I had some sick days and my stamina suffered and I was working on getting past the 2-mile mark but was struggling.
Then one of Yummy Man’s guys told him about this race and I remembered that I had wanted to run it but was afraid I wasn’t ready.
But it looked to be a good family thing. The race organizers encouraged kids and families and bikes and rollerblades and strollers. And I thought what a great thing this run would be for us to try.
It was a “fun run” so no hard-core-ness to worry about.
10-Year-Old had been training for a 5k also but had slacked off. He had just begun to get back to it when I told him that we were going to do this race on Saturday.
He was nervous that he wasn’t ready but I told him we WERE going to do it and we would just do the best we could.
Three minutes into the race, he turned to me and said, “This is fun, Mommy! I want to do this again!”
And that was just what I had been thinking too.
We pretty much sailed through the first 2 miles. I had to stop once to tie my shoe (note to self….DOUBLE KNOTS next time) and we paused one other time to gulp down some water.
But we ran the rest of the entire way.
It ROCKED!
I can’t tell you how great it felt to complete a “long distance” race AND to do it with my most favorite 10-year-old in the world!
It was a wonderful feeling of accomplishment!
The results were just published and here is how we fared…….
Our official time was 35:51. 10-Year-Old placed 7th out of 19 in his age group. I was number 263 out of 703 runners. I was the 132nd female runner and the 28th one in my age group (out of 76).
So I don’t think we did too shabbily for our first time.
And if you are now turned off because you think I’m bragging, well……HECK YEAH, I’M BRAGGING!!! WE ROCKED!
The Olympics won’t be calling anytime soon but I wasn’t trying to be fast and win. I wanted to be able to train for and run a long-distance race. I wanted to get back into shape. I wanted to love running.
I did all of that and more.
And I’m already planning our next one.
By the way, Yummy Man walked the race with eight of our other children, 3 in strollers and/or the front carrier. Our oldest son rollerbladed the race. He said that four RUNNERS passed him! My oldest daughter carried my youngest daughter in the front carrier the entire 3.1 miles! That’s really something!
This was a first for our whole family and we all loved it! We plan on doing one of these a month until the weather turns bad.
AND as long as we can afford the entry fees.
Donations accepted.
And here’s the shirt I had made to run in any races I’m in…….
All you running mothers of 10 out there? My idea. Back off. =)
