Fun Run?

It's Memorial Day!  And for the second year in a row we crashed the Chesterfield ward's 5K and Fun Runs for the kids.  Last year as I was huffing and puffing along with my hugely pregnant self to finish up walking the 1 mile Run/Walk I vowed to myself that next year I would RUN THAT 5K!!!  And run it I did.  {Woo hoo!!!  GO ME!!!  Hahahahaha.}

 I just love all the kids' expressions here.  Classic.

For the last 3 months or so, I've been "training" to run this race and just last week I finally worked my way up to running 3.1 miles at the gym without stopping.  This was HUGE!  It has literally been almost 4 years since I've been able to run that long of a distance.  To be precise, the last time I've run for longer than like a mile was on Thanksgiving Day of 2008 when I ran my Turkey Trot 10K.  Shortly after that I got pregnant with Jane and never ran again.  Hahaha.  Okay, perhaps that's a bit melodramatic, but that's kind of what it feels like.  You see while I was training for that 10K and starting to run more, I totally got bit by the running bug.  I might not have necessarily LOVED every second of every mile I ever ran, but I woke up each day ready to tackle a new run.  It was really awesome.  I loved the way I felt after I ran.  And even though I am not really an athlete, I felt like one when I was running -- I felt fit and strong and powerful.  

After having Jane, I was never able to get back into running like that again.  I'd try again and again to work my way up to running longer distances, but something always seemed to come up to hamper my progress.  First it was shin splints, then my back went out on me, then we got caught up in the whirlwind of moving, then there were more shin splints, and then I got pregnant with Alex.  So, it was with great trepidation that I started back up on this journey a few months ago.  The goal of running this Memorial Day 5K has been tiptoeing around the back of my mind since last year, but when push came to shove I was really scared I wouldn't be able to do it.  I was worried my grand plans would come crashing down due to more shin splints or other injuries or even just by the sheer fact that I haven't gotten a GOOD night's sleep in several years now!

However, this time around as I started running consistently and working my running mileage up SLOWLY, I came to realize something once again -- I can DO this.  I can do hard things.  I still can't say that I love every single step of every single mile that I run, but I love that my body is able to do this once again.  It is a blessing.

That's a bit better.  Hahaha.

With that being said, this run today was REALLY hard.  Between the heat and the hills, I pretty much felt like I was going to throw-up the whole last mile of the way.  It really had me questioning my sanity in wanting to run a 10K later this summer and a half-marathon in the fall.  I really wanted to run the whole distance without stopping, but the combination of those two factors -- the heat and the hills -- encroached on my will power and physical strength and I ended up walking for a couple of the last uphill battles of the race.  But I did finish it off at a run and was happy to see that my time overall {35:10}was good enough for me! 

Pardon the extreme unflattery of this shot.

Ethan was initially planning on running the 5K with me -- it is one of his dreams for the year after all -- but when he grew tired of training and his interest completely petered out, he decided he'd rather just run the Mile anyway.  Grace and Sophie both signed up for the Half-Mile, Jane signed up for the swing, and Alex resigned himself to parting with his beloved mother for the 30+ minutes it would take for her to finish the race. 

She insisted on taking her baby with her to the park.

Ethan did great with the mile.  He ended up taking second place by one second in his age group, {although I have no idea what his or the girls' official times ended up being} and was able to commiserate with me when I finished my race and said I felt like I was going to be sick.  He felt the same way, he so sagely told me.  Hahahaha. 

Grace "shot out like a cannon" (according to Ethan) for her Half-Mile race and did AWESOME.  This girl was on a mission to vindicate herself after last year's non-placement in the Primary run.  She came in second overall and first in her age group.  She was SOOOO excited and happy.  

Sophie did a great job, too.  This child has a knack like none other for making friends EVERYWHERE we go.  I kid you not.  Parks, libraries, schools, fast food play places -- you name it, she ALWAYS ends up playing with some little kid who she's never seen before.  This morning was no exception.  Even though we don't go to this ward and she only knew one little girl beforehand, she made 2 new BFFs before the day was over.  When Scott went to go help Sophie finish up her run, she kept slowing down and walking because she was waiting for Rachel and Callie.  "I'm waiting for my friends -- we're all going to win," she said.  She did manage to pick up the pace at the end and crossed the finish line at a run and then it was so cute as she stood on the sidelines cheering for her friends to cross the finish line after her. 

Sophie with her new friend, Rachel.

Not so cute?  The meltdown Sophie had when she realized she didn't place at all.  Even though she finished in front of her friends they were all in the 4 and under category and Sophie was in the 5 and up.  So basically she was competing with Grace and other big kids like her.  It was quite the flip-flop from last year.  During last year's awards ceremony it was Grace who was melting down for missing out and Sophie and Ethan who were proudly displaying their ribbons. 

 It's like they sub-consciously knew how they would finish and color-coordinated their outfits today accordingly.  Hahahaha.

Luckily by the time we got home Sophie had chilled out a bit and everyone was worn out enough that we didn't have to deal with too many problems.  Scott and Ethan took off for a few hours to go and help some friends with a move and then later this afternoon/evening we all went to the pool to kick-off the summer season.  When we got back it was dinner time and then bedtime for the 2 littlest ones and CHORE TIME for the older ones.  Because as I told them last week before school was out -- they could have their "freebie days" on Thursday and Friday, but come Monday evening we are BACK ON SCHEDULE!!!  Hahahaha.  They weren't too excited about this prospect, but eventually they all got their chores done and after a brief fit from Sophie who was upset once again about not winning the race they all went right to sleep.  So I guess the secret to getting them to go to bed and stay in bed every night is to wear them COMPLETELY out.  {Scratch that -- it is now 10:20 and Sophie just came down the stairs and is obviously not asleep yet.  ?!?!!?!}

I appeased Sophie by making her a Race Ribbon of her own.  It did the trick.

And there you have it -- a successful Memorial Day.  One more week until Summer School starts!