Weekend Review

I have only a moment here tonight, but wanted to post a few pictures from the weekend for record's sake. It was a full weekend for sure, starting on Thursday with a late dinner shared with friends visiting our area for spring break. Friday evening was spent with more friends, out in the middle of a grove where the kids' adrenaline rushed and the adults connected and relaxed. After dark we huddled around a camp fire as long as we could, and I half wished we could forget about the races scheduled for Saturday morning.

Saturday morning came all too soon, the start gun for Olivia's race going off at 7:30. She raced against these giants and at an age disadvantage because her birthday was just the week before.

Here she is coming in to cross the finish line. A short while later, she told me she would like to run more often and train more seriously. 

Below was Michael's line up. Both he and Olivia chose to start in the middle of their group. Each runner has a timing device on their shoe, so the running time starts and ends when the runner passes the start and finish lines.

Michael focusing hard...

...and finishing strong.

Andrew. His determination makes me proud.

I couldn't get a clear shot of him coming across the finish line, but he ran hard through some leg pain. He says he repeats the word "origami" in his head to keep his pace! I am thankful that he fights like this, determined when it gets tough. He was physically weaker in comparison to his peers (and even compared to his younger brother) for a couple years following the car accident and the months spent in a halo and neck brace. It took a few years before he determined to "get stronger" (as he put it). I think this drive is becoming a defining character trait.

Jacob was in the race mostly because of the freebies. Here he is trying to carry as much loot as possible.

Jacob improved the most over last year's results. The rest of my kids did fine, but they were somewhat disappointed with just slight improvements. I reminded them that the three weeks we trained was not enough to really make a difference, and that we'll aim to do better in next month's race. (Jacob, however, did really well. He's been running 2 miles with the rest of us, but the 6 year-olds only raced a 1/2 mile. He was well prepared.) 

Why do we do this? It's certainly not because we're great runners! If we don't establish healthy habits now, it is less likely my kids will grow up appreciating exercise (and good nutrition). Good quality of life as it relates to health is closely linked to fitness and nutrition. I feel responsible to lay a good foundation for my kids now. Back in the day, before babies and kids, I worked in a hospital in the cardiopulmonary rehabilitation center, and I saw first hand the results of a life lived in the typical North American fashion. So many diseases are related to poor health and fitness, and therefore quite preventable. Since old habits are hard to break, I'd rather build good habits from the start.

My kids don't have to love running, but I hope they continue to love being active and fit. And I hope they will look back to our little training sessions and springtime races with fondness.

I didn't run this time round, but I'm planning on racing next month. Last year I signed my kids up for this particular race because they were being sponsored and I thought it would be a fun experience. Since I had been running and training with them, I decided to sign myself up as well. I had always wanted to run in a race; I paid the fee and spent weeks preparing. Just a couple days prior to the race, I realized that only the kids ran on Saturday, and that my race was scheduled for Sunday morning during the first hour of church. I almost didn't go because I was concerned about how people would react. It's so silly, I know, but Jon was the new pastor and people notice if I'm not at church. I knew Jon and my kids would be asked where I was, and it wasn't worth ruffling any one's feathers! Still, we decided that since I'd already signed up and paid, I would run. It was an honest mistake.

The night before, we parked Jon's truck at the train station. Sunday morning I helped everyone get ready for church, and they dropped me off at the race location before heading in. It was cold, but I couldn't carry anything other than what I would run in. There were thousands of people. I watched professional and seasoned athletes warm up and line up, and I stood shoulder to shoulder with other runners waiting for the start gun. It was a strange feeling of being alone, yet surrounded by so many people. The actual race was harder than I expected because I had difficulty pacing myself in the midst of so many fast runners. I finished --elated!-- but without the shouts and cheers I had imagined coming from Jon and the kids waiting for me at the finish line. From the finish line, I continued to run to the waiting truck at the train station and sped home for a quick shower. I slipped on some high heels and dangling earrings, loosely pulled my unwashed hair back, and made it to church in time for the opening prayer of second hour. From across the aisle, the only person who knew what I had just done winked at me. Thank you Mrs. D... I still remember that wink! 

Fun memories in the end!



~Katherine