Siesta Key Kid's Summer Beach Run

We were at the beach on Tuesday morning doing our normal vacation thing when I saw a banner advertising this 1 mile kids fun run hosted by the Manasota Track Club and New Balance Sarasota.  I asked Lucas is he wanted to do it and he enthusiastically said yes, and of course hatched a plan to get Eliza to do it with him.

Race preparation for an event of this magnitude is serious business.  They got dressed in their "running clothes," for Lucas that meant swimming trunks and a t-shirt, and Eliza donned her brand new Tempo Shorts.  They also both needed GPS watches, because they obviously needed to know their pace.  Most importantly Lucas wore his brand new Nike running shoes.  Everyone who has ever been four knows that new shoes make you really fast, so this was key to a successful race.

While we ate dinner in the condo they ran around doing pushups (which lean towards looking like a seizure when done by a 4 year old), and other various unrecognizable warm up moves.  They were mildly excited, and we hurried them off to the beach to avoid breaking anything else in the condo.

They paid their $1 registration fee, and we headed down to the yellow lifeguard tower for the race start.   

Leigh provided a very animated motivational speech.

 Then they waited in the coral for the race to start.  At one point Eliza turned to Lucas asking "Lukie, are you scared?"  He had his game face on, so of course he answered no.

And then they were off...

After a bit of parental encouragement, and a couple of (short) walk breaks the parents peeled off and they kicked it all the way to the finish line.  There was even an announcer at the finish, who said "hey we've got a race here" when he saw the two of them sprinting together to the finish.  Little did he know there was no thought of competing against each other in those little minds.  Along the way Lucas cheered Eliza on saying "you can do it Eliza!"  They ran side by side right through the finish line.

Then the most important part of the race; ribbons and freezies.

You have to check out your stats at the end...

It was about a 14 minute mile.  Not too shabby!

The kids were quite pleased with themselves.  Eliza kept telling us she "completed the race," and Lucas informed us that even though he felt really tired he kept running.  I think their dorky parents were even prouder.  It's fun to see your kids being brave enough to try something new, to succeed at something challenging, to encourage each other, and to feel proud of their accomplishments.  Lucas is eager to run when we are here again next year, and is "going to practice like Mommy and Daddy to be even faster next time."  Guess we have to find ourselves a good 1 mile training plan ;)

Beach Run

A 22(ish) hour drive with three of the goofiest people on the planet left me with all sorts of things to share.  Here is a little glimpse into what was heard on the first few days of our trip.

Lucas-"I never want to go in the Bookmobile, it's got janky wheels. (for the record, I don't think he has ever even seen the Bookmobile and I'm not entirely sure any of us know what janky means)

Cooper-Can we watch 'Spicable Me? x10000000000000000000

Cooper (after watching Despicable me x10000000000000000000)-"Hey Dave, listen up please."

Cooper-"Poo"
Lucas-"Poo"
Me-"Hey, no potty talk guys."
Lucas-"He started it."
repeat x 1000

Lucas (after we tried multiple time and multiple approaches to explain Countries, Provinces, and States)-"Pennsylvania is my favourite country." (we have been reading The Magic Treehouse series, set in Pennsylvania)

Leigh-"We should make a Call Me Maybe song about this car ride." (and then he did)

Lucas (immediately after our arrival on Disney property)-"I am so excited to be here I feel like crying."

Cooper (leaving the beach)-"Mommy, this is our sweet home."

Lucas-"What are we doing tomorrow?  What are we doing the day after tomorrow?  What are we doing the day after the day after tomorrow?"

And just for good measure here are a couple of shots from my run this morning...

It's a tough life.

We Are Still Alive!

Being the wife of a teacher, I always look forward to summer vacation.  Summer vacation is precious, concentrated family time.  Time where there is another normal, rational human being at home during the day, one who doesn't require help to use the potty.  Each and every summer Leigh takes one for the team and teaches 4 weeks of summer school before getting to enjoy summer holidays. That means that once our summer begins we jam pack every single second of every single day full of fun summer things.  Since summer school ended a week ago it's been all fun all the time.  We started with a 22 miler.

It looked like this on our drive to the trail.

You know you're in for it when you have to pack a cooler of provisions for your run.  You can see my new shoes there at the right side.  P.S. Brooks Canada you are killing me with the no women's size 11's in your shoes.  I want the pretty women's colours not the blah men's ones!

Jelly beans and peanut M&M's for fueling.  You can guarantee that I ate that juicy pear one right in the middle.

Then we packed up and went camping at Awenda Provincial Park with Auntie Karadev (Auntie Kara and Auntie Devyn are one to the boys)

Ridiculously cute 

Feeding the chipmunks peanuts...From the middle of peanut M&M's

Lucas didn't want the chipmunk to touch his hand, his shoe was fair game.

Cute face

Pride Rock

Plank

Breakfast after a rainy night

Ready to go canoeing

At the Midland Drive-in Movie

After several days of camping food carb loading (marshmallows) we ran a 24 mile long run that I sadly have no pictures of.  It was not pretty, you are not missing much.

And then this...

Leigh is the big 3-0!!!

So there you have it, our busy first week of summer vacation.  Next time you hear from us we will be writing from somewhere in the kingdom of Obama.

I didn't know he knew my name?!

You know that feeling you have when you get a new haircut?  All fresh and peppy, like the removal of a half ounce of hair has taken a literal weight off your shoulders, making you feel light on your feet.  Is that just me?  Anyhow, we got haircuts on Wednesday morning, and on Wednesday afternoon we had the jogging arms on our new Chariot replaced in an effort to fix some issues that were making the stroller very very very very VERY hard to run with.  Like harder then just pushing 75 lbs of boys and all their boy accessories, and all their boy snacks, and all their boy tendency to bother each other.

So we set out for a 90 minute stroller run on Thursday morning and I was feeling all peppy, and light on my feet, and happy to be out on the trail with my best boys.  We got out the door and to the trail relatively drama free (like it took less then 14 hours).  The stroller was tracking in a perfectly straight line, instead of trying to pull me into the bushes.  I felt like I was a runner running with a stroller, not a frazzled and sweaty mom hanging on desperately and trying to get the run done before the figurative wheels came off.

source

The boys were happily chatting away and I was in the zone and not paying particular attention to what they were saying until Cooper's voice singing the same words over and over pulled me back to reality.  What was he saying?

GO LEXIE GO! GO LEXIE GO! GO LEXIE GO!

This guy...

Community

Since I started running just over 2 years ago I have grown to love the community we live in.  As a runner you learn so much about your community.  What it looks, and sounds, and feels like in the darkness of morning, and then how it slowly begins to wake up with the sun. How the streets rise and fall under your feet, and where the trails are hiding and inviting you to explore.  

It doesn't take long to become part of the running community.  Hello's are exchanged between passing runners, or maybe just a smile, or wave, or perhaps a grunt when that is all that can be mustered. When running my hill repeats a couple of weeks ago, a kind runner on her way by shouted, "Doing hills...Great job!"  She certainly buoyed me up on repeat 10 of 14!   

This running community is vast.  It is not limited only by the borders of our city.  Whenever we run a race we see this community of runners out in full force.  The sea of runners, the race organizers, the amazing volunteers...These are the people that make running great.  At The Around The Bay 30K when we stopped so I could stretch my very cranky, and very tired of running on a slanted road hip, another runner stopped thinking I was having electrolyte related cramping, to offer me a salt tablet.  The running community is big hearted, it's inclusive, it's empowering.

A month or so after I started running I read the book Run Like A Mother: How to Get Moving-and Not Lose Your Family, Job, or Sanity, and then immediately after finishing it I turned back to the beginning and read it again.  

source

Authors Sarah Bowen Shea and Dimity McDowell have created an amazing community of "Mother Runners" on their website and Facebook page.  This community is a rich source of information, there is so much wisdom and experience to be shared by runners of all skill levels and stages of experience.  Even more important then the informative aspect is the camaraderie.  Though we come from many situations and walks of life we share the common bond of being mothers and being runners.  I can find people there who understand what it's like to orchestrate and then run a double stroller run.  Getting out the door is usually the hardest part!  I can find women who are juggling families, and homes, and jobs, and running, who get sheer, bone aching, tear inducing exhaustion.  And if you hang out for just long enough you'll see all sorts of chatter about bodily functions and fluids, injuries, PR's, struggles, and goals.  It is a place of acceptance and encouragement.  I can say one thing for certain, without that community I would not have accomplished the things I have in running, and I would not have the inner sense of confidence and empowerment that it has created.

source  "Train Like a Mother"-The companion to "Run Like a Mother"

Today I am the featured runner on the Another Mother Runner Website!  I am so honoured to have had this opportunity.  I am so grateful to Sarah and Dimity for all they have created, for the inspiration they are to Mother Runners around the world!  You can check out my profile here.

You can find their books on amazon.com and amazon.ca

Someone Give Me a Gold Star

This morning I counted to 16, all by myself, and without losing track.  I did in fact finish kindergarten, many years ago, so this shouldn't be surprising.   But when in the midst of 16 hill repeats counting to 16 without losing track is one of the hardest things you can do.

source

For some reason when I get somewhere near repeat number six my brain goes all haywire.  Was that six or was that seven?  I wonder if I can count the down part of the hill as it's own repeat?  I'm hungry. Oh shoot, was that eight or was that nine?  Who in their right mind runs 16 hill repeats?  Hey there's a squirrel.  How the heck am I going to do 20 in a few weeks?  Fifteen!?  I am at fifteen!  Sixteen...I'm the King of the world!

source