Picture this: Two budding runners whom you have been trying to wake up for the last 10 minutes or so because you will all be late for a race. It is a little past 4AM.
Just a few days ago when I announced that they would finally join a road race which distance was their longest so far, they cringed and questioned me whether they could actually do it. I said, "Of course! You can take walk breaks like in ultras". They stared at me with disbelief and after what I said sank in, they jumped up and down with joy.
Yup, two of my kids joined a local 3K race last 08 November 2009. Nathan, 7 years and my youngest, Sophia at 5. My eldest was sick; so she could not make it.
Despite sleeping late the night before the race because they were busy preparing their "gear", they managed to wake up in time...barely.
Well, it was easy to convince them. By merely mentioning "loot bag" after completing the race, they all became giddy and excited.
During the race, my youngest had managed to run by herself and even went ahead unaccompanied leaving us behind. She finished ahead and won the "youngest runner award" in the process. In contrast, my son was having a bad hair day, short of DNF which I successfully foiled by contantly saying and reminding him "loot bag", "we are almost there", etc. Well, it worked and so nearing the finish line, he even managed to sprint. I smiled.
I could vividly recall when my youngest was around 3 1/2 years old. She ran around the perimeter of the house for about 20-30 minutes, on an even pace and oblivious to the people around her. It was a sight to behold considering the volatile attention span of the kids. Perhaps, a sign of good things to come? :)
They both finished and were not sore or limping the next day. Good for them. Here are some pictures with friends and their kiddos:
Nathan sprinting to the finish line with his pacer in the background
Sophia receiving her trophy
Cheers!
