Run for fun

Whew! Jeff and I survived running the half-marathon. I'm proud to say I have not needed a single ibuprofen. Though I would have appreciated if Mother Nature could have skipped the electrical storm last night. A soak in the hot tub would have been nice.

But this blog is about the kids. And they got in on the running action, too, this weekend. Friday afternoon was the annual Whipper Snapper races. AJ's done it a few times, but it was Sydney's first dash.

Of course, a big part of the race is seeing and posing with all the mascots that show up to market their brand to kids race. There was Subway:

And the Vikings. I saw the mascot at the finish line, but apparently the cheerleaders were more accessible. Do you suppose someday AJ will look at this photo and wonder why, with two gorgeous cheerleaders in the shot, he chose to cuddle up to his sister?

There was Harley from the Huskies baseball team. Sydney apparently thought he was a wolf and wanted nothing to do with him.

The Coca-Cola polar bear was okay, though.

Having worn the Aquarium's mascot costume before, I couldn't help but feel extremely sympathetic for whomever drew the short straw and ended up in the costumes. It was a hot and humid day. Maybe that's the norm for armadillos from Texas (Roadhouse.)

And the hometown favorite... Champ the Bulldog:

At last it was time for the big race. They break it up by age and gender, so Sydney, in the girls age 4 and younger (she beat the cut off by less than a week) was first. All afternoon she'd been battling nerves. She needed me to run with her. No, she could do it herself. Mommy, hold me. No, she was a brave girl. She could do it - the finish line wasn't so far. Mommy, please hold my hand.

We were part of the third wave. And when the air horn sounded, yes, she needed me to run with her. I kicked off my sandals and we were off. Can you see us?

Here's a little bit closer look. We're right in the center. Sydney's wearing my special running sunglasses that were supposed to make her brave, but didn't quite do the trick.

As we ran, I told her she could take off on her own if she wanted to at any point. About halfway to the finish, I could see the joy of running take over her. Her face break out into a huge grin and suddenly she was no longer holding my hand. She was all adrenaline and competitive spirit, racing for the finish line.

She even admitted later, "Mommy, you were right. I did have fun!"

Sydney is very proud of her ribbon. For a while, we pinned it to her shirt along with her number. Later, she wanted the number off, but the ribbon remained.

Next it was time to cheer on AJ, who was running in the much more competitive "Boys 7-8" category. It's worth clicking on the photo to enlarge it and see the expression on his face. He's trying so hard!

I wondered how he would take it if he didn't win. He's often questioned why Jeff and I would run a race that not only would we not win, we'd be beaten by a thousand or two other runners. I think now he knows. He jubilantly gave me a high five and announced, "I beat two second graders!"

How thankful I am for a family with healthy bodies, and for living in a community with opportunities like this that promote healthy activities for kids. I hope this becomes a passion for them as it's become for me. Though I can't help but wonder: how many years will it be until their young legs outpace mine? Probably sooner, not later. But as long as it means they're running regularly, I'll be okay with that.