Baby's First 5k

Today I had planned to veg out and get some stuff done around the house. I knew Shane had planned to run a 5k and, at the last minute, the kids and I decided to go watch. We drove out to Westminster College in New Wilmington, PA in plenty of time.

Shane picked up his bib and shirt while the kids played on the track. I chatted with our friends, Bonnie and Herb, from the timing company, Miles of Smiles, and Harry of the Big Beaver Big Dawgs. It was cool, breezy, and overcast.

Kids on the track

 

At the last minute Gemma (8) decided she wanted to run too. So, of course, Ash (2) wanted to join in. We hurriedly registered and gathered on the track for the beginning of the race. Ash gave daddy a good luck hug and then we were off.

 

 

As the leaders took off around the track I counted Shane to be in 12th place. I figured he would do well. The girls and I were probably 12 from the back. Gemma decided to take off and run ahead while I walked and jogged with Ash. We headed off the track, through a parking lot, over a bridge, and around the Westminster campus.

 

Ash was doing well and I wondered how long it would be before she gave up. We came to the water station (which had no water, only some kind of orange drink) and I got Ash a cup. We carried it for awhile and she took a couple sips. I finally dumped it and stuck the empty in my pocket. It was beginning to get really warm so I took our coats off and tied them around my waist.

 

We came to an four-way intersection and a volunteer directed us to run straight ahead to a stop sign, turn around, and come back to the intersection. Then we turned right and ran a loop around a small block and came back down to the same intersection. Then we went straight through the intersection and ran a loop around a parking lot before returning to the intersection one last time and turning back the way we had run up. This cloverleaf cluster**** led to the front runners being misdirected, including Shane. The first 15 or so runners ended up missing the run around the block and instead ended up on the other side of a small lake before about 5 of them headed off another direction, getting more lost, and the rest reversed course.

 

At the back of the pack Ash and I had no problems but it was irritating trying to figure out which way to go from the same spot over and over again while not running into the runners in front of us and the walkers behind us who were heading in different directions. We finally headed back the way we had come and stopped at the water stop again. Right around here we caught Gemma and we all stuck together for a little bit until she decided to walk in with another little girl. Ash decided she wanted picked up so I jogged with her for awhile and we left Gemma a little behind. Shane had finished much earlier despite all the wrong turns and he walked in the rest of the way with Gem.

 

Warm up laps on the track

 

I jogged with Ash to the track and then put her down to do the last lap on her own. We ran side by side and then I pushed her through the chute. Shane made it in time to get a picture but it didn't turn out. :(  Her time was 48:27. Not bad at all for a 2 year old! Gemma finished about a minute behind her but didn't receive an official time. I don't think she has the competitve spirit. :)

 

We headed over to the finish line tent and quickly realized they had run out of water. Between the lack of water at the aid station, the misdirection, and the lack of water at the finish we were kind of upset so we just left. Turns out we should have stuck around because Shane did get first in his age group.

 

Overall, I'd say the race itself was pretty poorly planned and directed but the experience of running with both of my girls for the first time made it well worth it! Guess it's time to get them into some Altra Jr.'s!

Picture Fun and a Challenge

The holidays are here and so is the fun! From getting a new hairstyle to new clothes and eating goodies it's the most wonderful time of the year. Or so the song says...

Making cookies with my kiddos was a nice touch this week. Of course Ash's cookies went in a separate tupperware since I don't think anyone likes baby drool flavor!

Gem decorating cookies 

Ash eating sprinkles 

So much fun! 

Final products

 

Holidays also mean end of the year fun and get togethers so I took the time to get a new 'do.

 

Sheila is a genius!

 

And what's Christmas without presents?! Running Skirts hooked me up with an awesome outfit for my cold weather workouts. I love the fit and fabric and the color of the top. There's even little leopard print accents on the pants! Too fun! The headband stayed put through a CrossFit workout too.

 

Pretty!

 

Fits wonderfully! (And I need a new mirror.)

 

Speaking of presents, I spent two nights making a cross stitch (my first ever attempt) for Christmas. Gem gave it to her great-grandma for Christmas. I hope she liked it!

 

 

And really the best part is just the large amounts of quality family time. :)

 

Mom & Ash fun!

 

Just as fun but also serious, I've been challenged to a dual. Well, not really but kind of? It's a running challenge. Altra Zero Drop tweeted to ask "Why do you run?" I saw one of my running idols, Harold from a A Veteran Runnah, answer the question and my own answer came to me. I run because I want to be better! Like Harold who I saw in action (from very far behind) at the Runner's World Festival.

 

Harold's PR's are really impressive (for a retiree or not!). Somehow our tweets turned into a challenge. We'll compare our PR's at the end of 2013 and see who has improved the most to crown a winner (of what, we don't know). So as of right now my PR's for 2012 are:

5k: 24:27
10k: 59:30 (soft)
13.1: 2:20 official, 2:08 time trial
26.2: 4:34:05

And, of course, there's ultras but these aren't part of the challenge.

So what do you think my chances are? Anyone else want to join in on the fun?

 

Running with Kids

I know there's a lot of moms (and dads) out there that struggle with sacrificing Saturday morning cartoon time with their little ones to run a race instead. I've been in the same boat (almost every weekend lately). It's not easy to remove the parental guilt we associate with putting ourselves 'first'.

That's why I got my older daughter into running. She expressed an interest so we took full advantage of it. I helped to organize a race in April 2011 and it was almost literally outside our back door. My father-in-law and I volunteered at an aid station while my mother-in-law, husband, daughters (the baby in the jogging stroller), and a family friend ran the race.

We didn't do any specific training for my older daughter, who had just turned 6. Our several-times-weekly walks were usually walk/runs with her anyway. Many times she runs ahead (on the trail) to the next road crossing and stops and waits for me to catch up. We walk more than 3 miles fairly often as it's about 1.5 miles to the park and back and we usually go beyond the park to a nature preserve further down the trail.


The family that runs together, Stays together?

I never even thought about 'training' my daughter but I didn't have any concerns about her participation either. Suddenly I'm surrounded by running parents who wonder if they should or could let their young children participate. Runner's World magazine even did an article in their September 2011 edition on this topic and recommended that children 6 and under not participate in races. (7-9 is okay for 5k's and 10+ is okay for 10k's according to the article.)

I started to wonder if I was harming my daughter. Was I being the pushy parent? Was I damaging her growing body? Why SHOULDN'T she run(/walk) a 5k if she so desired? Would it be wrong to let the baby do a 5k earlier (maybe 4 or 5) if she wants to? So many questions and so few answers!

Parenting is so individual and there's so many ideas on how to do it 'right' that I decided to trust myself and my husband. If we think our children are capable and they believe they are too then why not let them try? I'm thankful to report that it's working out well for us.

Gem has her own medal hanger full of age group awards and soccer medals. She set a new 5k PR of 39:00 at her last race. The baby even has a medal because we registered her at one race just for kicks even though she was in the jogging stroller the whole time. My older daughter is now asking if I will let her do a longer race and I told her we would talk about it come spring.


Those are all Gems on the pink hanger!

So what's your take on running with your kids? Is it good? bad? neutral? What age is a good age to start and do you worry about 'training' your children? At what age would you let your child run farther (5M, 10k, HM)?

Planking adventures....

Have you heard of planking? Wikipedia defines it as 'the act of lying face down with arms to the sides of the body, in unusual public spaces and photographing it'. Like this:

Of course, being an exercise addict I thought of this instead:

So then I thought why not combine the two?! Instead of just laying around we can get fit with a new fad! So of course, my ever-gullible husband and I went off with the kids to test it out! The results are absolutely spectacular!

Of course, since Shane and I did it our oldest had to try it to. And I think she did a wonderful job! Check out these planking skills!