Today we did our first race as a family. We joined the Ubaydi family who just recently moved back from California. They have raced as a family a bunch of times. Ella has been wanting to do a race with me and then we found out the Ubaydi's were doing a race locally, so we decided to join them. We are really glad we did. It was really a fun morning. Ella did the 5k race with me. Steve and Claire did the 1k fun run. Rose hung out with Steve while I ran with Ella, and then she hung out with me while Steve ran with Claire. It was a chilly start, but once we got moving, we were good! Ella took off like a rocket, and then quickly slowed down. I was afraid that would happen. I tried to talk to her about pacing herself but it was lost. The air was really cold and she was not breathing correctly so she started to scare me. She was almost wheezing. So here I am thinking I am the worst Mom in the whole world, having her run a 3.2 mile race with me. We were by no means running my usual pace. I was letting her set the pace, but even after we slowed, she was breathing funky. So that was when I thought, well, I gotta carry her. Up she went on my back and I took off running. Still nowhere near my running pace, but I was determined to get her to cross that finish line. I would put her down for a while, she would run, then she would need a ride. We practiced breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth. She really got the hang of that by the last quarter mile. She ran at least half the race on her own. She sprinted to the finish line with lots of screams of encouragement from me and Steve. She was tired but so happy that she did it. She is already talking about her next race.
The race was my first trail run. That was an experience in itself, not to mention that Ella was on my back half the time! Not sure I am in love with trail runs, but maybe I should try one without a 45 pound kid hitching a ride! lol! There were some wicked hills too. It was a pretty tough terrain but really beautiful with the fall leaves and plenty of sunshine.
Claire ran her fun run with all her might and sprinted to the finish line. No one told her to run fast at the end, it was just instinctual. God love her!
We had a great time and with a little more training for Ella, I will gladly sign her up for another race....just as long as I have faith that I won't have to carry her! Now that was a serious workout!!
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