Thanksgiving Day Dash / Isabel's First Race / Emma's PR

Today marks a very special day in my running world. A day that I've been looking forward to for awhile. A day that I may be more excited about than any other running day to date.

Isabel is running her first race today, and I am one proud running mom! I love the fact that she came to me to ask to run the 1K on thanksgiving. I love the fact that she constantly asked to run with me to train. I love that when I would ask her how far she wanted to run on the training runs she would tell me "100 miles". I love that she asks when she can run a marathon with me. I love the excitement on her face when she got her first pair of running shoes. I love how excited she was when I gave her the running bib.

We set our clothes out last night and she laid them perfectly on the floor. She was ready to go and couldn't wait to run. 

 

I picked my niece up at 6:50am and we drove to the race. We got there early, but the time went by quickly and we distracted ourselves by playing I Spy. 

 

My parents and Patrick came to watch the race and pretty close to 8am we began the 1K kids fun run. The run was four laps around the field and I encouraged Isabel to run the entire time without walking. She did great and I think she really enjoyed herself. 

Not long after that it was time to line up for the 5K. 



We had our interval timers ready to run 30:1 intervals and we were off! The first mile is usually the worst because it feels more crowded. You're not really sure what the people around you are planning on doing (running, walking, intervals, etc) and it can get frustrating leap frogging back and forth. But it usually opens up around mile one.

I was really impressed with Emma today. She was running strong and fast. I knew pretty early on that if she continued with that pace then she would get a PR (personal record). It was then that I told her I think it's time to up the distance. She's completed three 5Ks and has improved her speed. Maybe a 10K is in the near future..

She finished strong with a time of 39:05. I couldn't be more proud!

Starting While She's Young

I have never pushed running on Isabel. I didn't necessarily want my hobbies to be her hobbies unless she showed an interest.

I've been running consistently for three years. She's been at home waiting for me when I get home from a training run. She's been at the finish line for countless races of all distances. Recently she's been asking to run with me, so when I get finished with the distance I come back around and pick her up for a short run (usually no longer than 1 mile).

About a month ago, the signs started going up for our neighborhood's Turkey Day Dash. I participated in the race two years ago when it was at a different location and it was a pretty decent race.

I hadn't planned on running it this year until my mom called me one day at work and told me that Isabel had told her that she wants to do the 1K kids fun run. I would be lying if I told you that I wasn't excited. I've really been looking forward to this and hoping that it would happen at some point.

I've really enjoyed that running started (and continues) with my sister and I. My niece has been participating in 5Ks and will be doing the Turkey Day Dash 5K with me this year (her third race). And now Isabel will be running in her first race with me on Thanksgiving.

I decided I wanted to do something special. I don't know if she will enjoy it or not, but I can only hope that running is something that she and I can share, so I decided to get a gift for her.



 

Her first pair of running shoes.

 

They were a surprise and she absolutely loved them. We don't have long to break them in, since the race is next week, but they will hopefully last a little while and I hope that she continues to have the desire to do this together. 

Turkey Day Dash

Isabel has mentioned before that she wants to run a race with me. She will often ask to join me on a run and I will swing around at the end of my scheduled run to take her for half a mile or so. During this time she will ask if we're in a race, if we can go for a hundred miles or more and when she and I can run a marathon together.

She has seen me finish 5Ks, 10Ks, half marathons and full marathons. She's been at the end of the majority of the races I've run and is usually the first one to great me when I get home from my training run asking if I'm sweaty (or on the special occasion telling me in my sweaty, red faced glory that I look beautiful).

About a month ago I ran in a 5K with my niece and my best friend. It was my best friends first 5K and my niece's second. We had a lot of fun and I think Isabel was a little jealous.

I don't think she's quite ready for the 3.1 distance, so I was pretty excited to find out that she saw a sign for the Turkey Day Dash on Thanksgiving. I ran this race two years ago and I really enjoyed it. They have not only the 5K that morning, but a 1K fun run. She asked my mom if she could run in the 1K and as soon as I found out she was interested I immediately signed us up.

The plan is for me to run the 1K with her at 8am and then I'm going to run the 5K at 8:30am. I'm trying to see if my niece can run it with me. It was really nice training with her and watching her finish and I'd really like to be able to do that again. She has shown interest in running a half marathon together at some point, so the more we can run together the better.

I told Isabel yesterday that I had signed her up and she was so excited. I may or may not be extremely excited that she shows interest in something that I have a passion for. We'll see if she still likes it after we finish. If she's anything like me, she's going to hate it while she's doing it and love it when it's over. And of course, she'll be planning when she can do it again.