That seems to be what we spent our time doing during the months of September and October. It still amazes me that we have evolved into a running family. Alex was a good runner as a kid but I certainly wasn't. My girls seem to hang at the back of the pack until about seven years of age when they figure out how to coordinate their long legs. Of course, Adeline has her prematurity working against her so running is never going to be an enjoyable pass time. However, she is our best cheerleader and pounds the pavement when asked. And then there is Evelyn. If she doesn't end up being a runner, I will be shocked. She has spent more time watching us run or being pushed in stroller during a run than most babies her age.
How to keep this brief. . . there are so many runs and noteworthy accomplishments.
Healthy Kids Running Series
We love this grassroots effort to keep kids active and healthy. The following clip tells about the program. You might even get a quick glimpse of me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzC1PupilOc&feature=youtu.be&noredirect=1
Our girls ran this five week series again this fall. Savannah ran the mile with a PR of 7:04 (its a tough, hilly course). She was running against 4th and 5th grade girls and had some healthy competition. Overall, she finished 2nd. We were very proud of her bringing down her time a total of 30 seconds over the five week period.
Lila Grace ran the 1/4 mile with a PR of 1:35! She rocked it and came in first place out of 30 plus girls. I wish you could have seen her determination. It was amazing. My one pound preemie came in first!! I wanted to shout it from the rooftops. She was everything they said she wouldn't be. If I had a dollar for every time a doctor said my girls would NEVER run fast or well, I would be a rich lady. Lila was so proud of herself. I was proud and profoundly grateful for all that she is!
Adeline ran the 1/4 mile as well. At first she really didn't want to run. She says it is hard and that it hurts her lungs. After visiting with her pulmonologist last week, there is truth in what she says. Adeline has decreased lung function which certainly makes running a more painful and slower task. That being said, she ran faster than ever before and wasn't the last girl to finish. She was rather proud of that and so was I.
In the end, Lila and Savannah walked away with trophies. Notice the little sister got the first place trophy and the big sister walked away with a shorter, second place trophy. A healthy boost for Lila's self esteem and much needed change of scenery in Savannah's rather large collection of first place trophies.
I had a cake made for all of our friends who ran with us!
At the same time we were running the Healthy Kids series, the girls ran another cross country series. Savannah ran the mile again but Lila bumped up to a half mile. Both girls did great. The last run of the series was a complete downpour. Every sporting event in our area was canceled EXCEPT this. I guess runners run in all weather. Everyone was there because trophies were being awarded. Our girls did it again! This time Savannah came in first place and Lila second. We were drenched by the time it was all over!
