Turkey trot - proud mom moment+ personal PR

Saturday November 23rd

Today was fantastic

Son Ry ran his first 5k

My goal for him was that he would have a blast, and come away with a good feeling about the sport

Night before jitters

Found us

Being goofy as we got our race stuff situated-

 

Took him 2 minutes

Me 2 hours and a load of laundry

Next morning had us up and ready

Cheesy grins still in play

There's just something about pinning on a race bib, 

That puts 

Butterflies in my stomach

Ry says he's cool

But I can tell he's feeling it too

Pre-race selfies

We were early

So we wandered the porta potties

They had a handicapped one that felt like the Taj Mahal, it was amazing (shoulda snapped a pic)

Got coffee 

And tea

No hot cocoa???? Really?

Wandered a bit more

Then went back to the jeep

To sit for a bit

To keep warm, 

And cool our jets

Sitting there so peaceful like-

When

BAM!!! 

Crazy stranger face in my window

Scream!!!!!

Laugh

It's only marathon Mike

My wacky brother-in-law 

Fam in tow

We chat

And laugh

He's enlisted the school basketball team

To run today

He's the coach

Offered a "run the 5k-skip running drills"

Carrot to his guys

Looks like a bunch took him up on it

Bump into friends 

Wave across the way at acquaintances 

Love a local race

Everyone's here

Announcer gives 1 minute warning

Runners jockey for places

I look at ry

He's calm

I'd filled his mind with 

All manner of running advice

He'll probably not need

I know he'll be fine 

Gun goes off

And we do too

Soon

He's peeled away from me

Off to run his race

I'm so proud

Twinge of whatever it is a mom feels, 

As you watch your child do something that makes you so proud 

Soon he's in the crowd

And I'm left to run my race

I feel good

My first go at running a race using the run/walk  meathod

Don't get me wrong, 

I walk alllllllllllllll the time with my runs

But never at planned intervals

5/1 is my plan

5 minutes run

1 minute walk

If I feel good, I start running again after 30 seconds

It worked like a charm

I felt in control 

It took the self conscious feeling away

That I usually get when I stop to walk

Or even when I pass someone walking

I got tucked in among 3 ladies

I'd pass them, 

They'd pass me

Little tandem team it seemed

I don't know why, 

But I really wanted to come out ahead of them

That shocked me

I'm not competitive 

I worry I'll frustrate someone

But here I was planning to try to beat them

Shocked me

But made me happy too

For the first time it dawned on me

I've run enough

To know

If they are bothered by me passing them, 

I will help them--- because they speed up

If they do nothing

Then they are glad to have me pass

Rather than breath down their neck

First downhill

Had me

Easily passing them

I wondered why they held back

The next mile had me behind them as they passed me

But I stuck to my drill

Walk run 

And wouldn't you know it

The last down hill

There they were

I had nothing to lose

And I did it!

I passed those gals one by one

Down the home stretch

I made it in

And good time

33-34ish and change (still waiting for official chip time)

My last years time was 37.42

Marathon Mike "high fived" me

Violin running shared my excitement and knew this was a milestone for me-

And there he was

Ry

Grinning from ear to ear

I love a post race smile

It's the truest smile there is 

Everyone is happy at the end of a race

Violin Running took a pic of us

We mingled, chatted, got our lunch

And waited 

I love waiting to hear the winners

At a local race

Because chances are you'll know a few 

While the judges did their tallying

The kids had a few fun activities

I made ry volunteer for the turkey gobble contest- to try to have the best turkey gobble-

(Crowd was the judge on that one- and I knew we had a bunch of friends that would cheer him to victory) 

He was a good sport

And a funny gobbler too

Needless to say, our crowd clapped him to victory

This hat was his prize- 

Oh yeah

Now that's turkey gobble bragging rights!

Then came long awaited results 

In rys age group, one of his friends won 1st! 

We clapped and cheered for E. 

2nd place whent to a guy ry told me he'd tried to beat, but couldn't quite keep up- 

Then out of nowhere- I hear Ry's name

He'd snagged 3rd place! 

Ry and E. 

Marathon Mike snagged a place too

I don't know how he does it- 

After all- Mike had told me Sunday, he was going to just 'jog it in'

That's some jogging!!!!

Even Violin running and her hubby Gutter Runner placed

Only theirs came with free shoes!

(From my favorite shoe store Browns)

Yep

They did

They placed 

In top 3 overall winners for both men's and women's-

Snagged this quick pic of her and the other gals as they walked down

As we drove home 

Ry and I had the best chat

About the race

The course

His sore calves

We shared a laugh about something runners would laugh about, but I can't remember now what it was

I do remember this

This has got to be one of the funnest (yes I know that's not a word) 

Funnest days 

My heart is so full

So happy

And I am so proud

It's good to be this momma today-

Very good indeed