Saturday, July 16, 2016

The Independence Mile July 2, 2016

A local coaching group, Running Lane, puts on a fun event at the UAH campus in Huntsville.  This year it was on Saturday, July 2nd starting at 6 p.m.  It's only $8 to enter (but no shirt or prizes).  They also advertised that they would be giving away over $1000 in door prizes and would have a free BBQ dinner after/during the races (there are different heats based on age, elite runners, etc.).  It worked great to sign up our 2 older kids since their heat started first.  That way we could watch them run and then eat a free dinner!

As we got ready to go, we grabbed our 2-year-old Ivy's "running shoes" (a little purple pair of Nikes) and told her we were going to a race.  She's used to coming and has never asked to run before, but she has begun to know what running is.  We have a book, Swing!, that asks, "Have you ever run a relay race?" and each time we read that part, Ivy gets off our laps and runs a little while we cheer for her.  Plus, she's come to lots of races.  So she knows what "running a race" means.  As we headed to the UAH campus, she kept saying, "I wun wace, Momma?" over and over.  So Rick and I finally looked at each other, shrugged, and said, "Why not?"  When we got there, we paid another $8 and entered her!  

For fun, we looked at the Alabama State Age Records that a volunteer had pulled up on his phone.  Ivy just turned 2 a week and a half ago.  Well, the 1-year-old female record holder was named Ivy too!  And her time was 23:38.  The 2-year-old record was 14 minutes though!  Whoa--no chance Ivy would beat that!  Our big kids were bummed since their age group records were so fast.  We told them just have fun.

Below is the picture from the 0-19 age group start.  Tiny race!  I am actually holding Ivy here.  Since we didn't want her to get tired out before the race even started, I carried her over to the Start Line.  

Pictures taken by Gregg Gelmis of We Run Huntsville.

My son and older daughter took off once the race started!  Gregg got some good pictures of them as they rounded the first corner.



Ivy was officially in last place just as soon as we started, and she stayed in last place.  But you wouldn't know it from the smile on her face as we passed the crowd!  She loved being cheered for!  Rick and I are running beside her.




Ivy gave up running after .2 mile.  She walked, sat, and walked some more.  Every so often, she would run a little.  I'm glad Gregg got pictures of my big kids finishing since we missed it.  



My daughter loves to sprint at the end of races.  She was behind several children, but then she passed them all.  She has a great ability to dig deep at the end of races.




And here is our little baby as she crosses the Finish Line!


Her time of 22:46 would have gotten her that state age record IF she was still one!  That is a good time for such little legs, and we were all so proud of her!  Her grandparents came, and you can see her grandma right behind her in the picture below, cheering her on!



We had a great time staying to chat with friends, eating some good food, and then hearing the door prize drawings.  Both of our big kids won a $25 gift card (one to Chipotle and one to Fleet Feet).  I recommend this race to all families--such a good value and a fun time!

Friday, July 15, 2016

Cookie Dash and Chick-fil-A 5K: Two Good Family 5Ks

These happened awhile ago, but I still want to get them posted on here!  Both races were fun for our whole family and were very family-friendly.

Cookie Dash 5K
April 16, 2016

Pre-Race and Race
 On April 16, 2016, my big kids and I ran the Cookie Dash 5K.  I feel so bad because I led them on a short warm up, but we got back too late and the race was about to start!  We had to rush into place without even catching our breaths.  It was not ideal.  

During the race, I pushed myself to stay with teammate Linda who was ahead of me most of the race.  In the last mile, she began walking so I took the lead and finished first female.  My time was 20:31.  Results here


Pictures from We Run Huntsville Facebook page


Age Graded Results
With over 500 finishers, this is a big race for our area.  It's also a little unusual since it publishes the top 25 people in an age-graded results listing.  I'm not even exactly sure what it is, except that I know by looking at the names on the list that it's a good list of competitors.  Also, out of the 25 people on the list, only 6 are female.  I made the list (#15), but my little girl did too (#23)!  I am guessing since I am a little older and she is a little younger, that this means our times are good given our ages!  My time was 20:31, but my age-graded time was 20:10 (73%).  Her time was 26:27, and her age-graded time was 21:02 (71%).  Again, not really sure what it means, but it still felt a little like an honor!
See here

Post-Race
I wore the baby after the race since she kept asking me to "Hold you!"


This race is well-known for the TONS of cookies people bake for post-race snacks.  We loved going through the line to get some of them!


It never fails that someone will joke: "Did you run the whole race with her on your back?" whenever I wear the baby after a race.  Kind of like how they always say, "She has the best seat in the house!" whenever they see me running with her in the jogging stroller.  I'm just happy that she comes along so well.  Such a happy tag-along baby!  And she is happiest when she can suck her thumb and play with my hair while I carry her in the back carrier.  She loves it!




Rick and I stayed to volunteer when the race was over.  We handed out medals.  


The race photographer captured a sweet moment when I got to place a medal around my daughter's neck for her first 5K age group award (and her first time to run a 5K!). 


Chick-fil-A Decatur 5K Race 
April 30, 2016

As usual, it seems to me that whatever Chick-fil-A does, they just do it well.  Free food events, mother-son and father-daughter date night events, etc.  They seem to give away so much free food!  Well, this race is no exception.  It's part of a series of races in our area.  We live in Huntsville, AL, so Decatur is about a 30 minute drive, but this race was well-worth it!  It had a "family-fun zone" at the start/finish area, including a place to play games and earn free food cards!  Also on hand were free chicken biscuits and even more food for post-race snacks.  A photographer was taking pictures too (credit goes to them for the two pictures below).



My big kids and I ran the race while Rick watched the baby.  He is still recovering from a back injury and isn't in racing condition just yet.  

I knew that I really wanted to do well in this race because of the prizes!  I had heard that the winner got "free chicken for a year" (52 free meal coupons).  As a SAHM, I look for opportunities like this to help make eating out affordable.  Well, when I saw Justyna (in yellow second from left in the picture below), I knew first place was not happening.  So I aimed for second ("free chicken for 1/2 year").  


My time was 21:04, second place.  Since this race was smaller and the course was a little tricky, I headed back out to make sure my kids had found their way.  After cheering them both in, we headed for post-race chicken and a family cool-down (Rick jogged with the baby in the stroller).  

I loved getting the prize of coupon cards which filled a chicken nugget box!  These cards have been such a nice way to be able to eat out at Chick-fil-A over the last few months.  The manila envelopes pictured in the stack below hold the kids' prizes (both won an age group award).  The cards on top of those were prizes from the games the kids played in the family fun zone.  Chick-fil-A was so generous at this race!  Results here


Stay tuned for the baby's first race: One mile at 2 years old!