Our first ever 5K.

Five weeks ago, I asked my kids if they wanted to walk to get some ice cream.  Really, mom!  Get ice cream - let's go!  We were almost back home when I explained to them that I was thinking of signing us up for the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning - that it was the same distance we had just walked.  Easy mom!  Let's do it!

We walked a couple more times for ice cream and then we tried other walks that didn't involve food.  During our final practice,  winter weather hit.  It was 32 and windy.  We bundled up, but we determined another layer was necessary.  Thankfully it looked like the weather would warm up before race day.

Thanksgiving Day arrived.  We all got up and out of the house by 7:15am.  That's right - Me - who HATES to get out of bed before 9am - and my family of 6  got bundled and out the door on time.  The van  thermometer read 17!  I was so glad I had bought extra layers for everyone. 

The race started at 8:30am.  We left the warmth of the YMCA building and headed to the starting line.  The run was through the cemetery across the street.  I was relieved to see 2 other strollers - granted they weren't double strollers like mine.  Yes that's right - a regular double stroller.  We have a single jogging stroller, but I needed one for both our 2 yr. old and 6 mo. old.   I was about to run/walk my first 5K pushing 80-100 pounds.

The plan was for Rob to run the whole thing and then catch up with us.  We got started and to warm up my body temp. I ran several paces ahead of the kids.  I realized this would not work as Justus (who started with his dad in the front of the pack) quickly became the last person by quite a distance, so I had to stop and wait for him. 

Pushing 80 pounds and dragging 100 got harder when my pride started getting hurt.  You see, the course was a "turn-around" course - you get halfway and then you turn around and go back the way you came.  So ALL those runners who were in front of us passed us coming back and saw that we were dead last.  These were people I knew from the Y baseball team, the boys swim instructor, etc.  I struggled with embarrassment and started having a bad attitude towards my children who were holding me back from winning the whole thing, of course. 

Thankfully Rob finished and caught up to us at the halfway point so I was able to do more running the 2nd half than the first.  We finished behind everyone else, but we finished.  Justus was not last - Zac got out of the stroller and walked the last 1/8 mile with daddy and proudly crossed the finish line asking "Did we win daddy?"  Of course we did.  Our time was embarrassing - we had never done it that slowly. BUT - we did it!  My kids walked a 5K!  I pushed a stroller and ran/walked a 5K!

You know what else is amazing?  For the first time since 5th grade, I ran - I ran in the cold - and did not have ANY asthma!!!  This is life changing.  I used to play basketball in 5th - 8th grade.  I had to be benched every game because of an exercised enduced asthmatic reaction and it was ALWAYS worse in the cold.  For so long, I have been held back by my lungs - this means I can run again.  I CAN RUN AGAIN!  That is such a freeing feeling.

I can't wait to run my next 5K, but next time we're getting a sitter.