Cupid's 1K Recap

Race: Cupid's 1K
Distance: 1K
Where: Bountiful, Utah
Time: Just for fun!

What a great experience....well for two of the three of us! :) Our first race as a family, the Cupid's 1K. We woke up early to lots of dark clouds and just a hint of rain, but we were still anxious to get out and run. The 1K didn't start until 10 am, but I was told we had to pick up our race packets by 8:30 (with all of the 5K runners) or we couldn't get them, and much to my dismay Bountiful does not have a day before pick-up (something they should consider). So, we had an hour and a half to kill. This isn't much fun for an adult, try being 7 and 8 and having to hang out waiting for your race to start! But the kids did pretty well and killed some time, and warmed up (according to Zayd) with a little pre-race rock climbing.



















When it was finally time to line up for the start it had been raining fairly steady for the hour and a half we had been waiting, and was continuing to rain, but the kids were still very excited. I reminded both of them to not start off to fast and take it nice and easy so that they could run the whole way....and then we were off! Much to my surprise Allayna took off ahead of us and I never saw the little speed demon again until the finish line! Zayd on the other hand took off in a sprint and a few seconds later was walking next to me. It took a little prodding, but I got him to jog with me, but he didn't want to "go slow", so he took off again. And then stopped again. We did this for most of the 1K distance and as we crossed the finish line he looked at me and said "I'm never doing this again!"

So, there you have it, my big sports guy hates running! I think the only thing that got him to the finish line at all was the knowledge of the fruit, bagels and hot chocolate that were waiting there for him! :) But, there is good news in all of this, Allayna, who I would have bet money would have been the one to complain about running, absolutely LOVED it! At the end of the race she was all smiles and excited to run another race with her Mama! And so we have our next race picked out already, over the next few months mother and daughter will train together and on Saturday, July 24th we will run the Pioneer Day 5K race here in Bountiful.....and Zayd will once again be at the finish line with us, cheering us on as the two of us cross the finish line! :)

Once we got home Allayna, all smiles, went straight to the cork board that holds my race bibs and pinned her first race bib, #54, right next to mine.....a very happy day for her Mama too! Even given the fact that Zayd did not love running, we had a fabulous day together, all three of us. We were wet and cold, but happy. And I am very pleased with the new running partner I have gained and look forward to many happy days running together! Now let's just hope I can keep up with her!! :)

A Family that Runs Together!

I'm Back!! I haven't written here since my half marathon last September. With life getting a little crazy, I had lost my focus on racing a little. I've still been running, just not training, but that is all about to change! It's a new year and I have new focus. I have looked the year over and picked several races, starting in April, that I plan to train for, including my first full marathon. But, that is not going to be my first race of the year.

Over the course of the last year I have asked the kids if they would be interested in running with me and possibly even running a race or two themselves, but they never had interest and the typical response was "Mom, running just isn't for me". Well evidently the racing bug has spread through my house, because last month I got a big surprise! While entering the building for hockey practice, Zayd spotted a flyer for a Valentine's Day race held right here in Bountiful and to my surprise his response was "Mom, let's run that race together!" You couldn't have erased the smile from my face if you tried. Then, to add to my elation, Allayna piped in with "Yeah, let's do it as a family! That would be fun!" And so, to my extreme excitement, I am proud to announce that my first race of 2010 will be the 2nd annual Sweethearts Race, the Cupid's 1K.

Yes, I know, 1K?! That won't be any real challenge for me, I will probably barely break a sweat. But that is not the point of this race. I am finally getting to share my love for running with the two loves of my life, my sweethearts, my kids! And we will get to run our first race as a family, together, start to finish, on Valentine's Day weekend.

When I started this blog last year, one of my goals was to inspire others to believe in themselves and never give up on their passions, whatever they may be. It fills my heart that the two people I strive to inspire the most in life have been inspired to run with me, to share a goal and achieve it together. This may only be a 1K race, the shortest distance I will race this year, but it will definitely be the most rewarding! Now that's a Valentine's Day gift Hallmark can never out-do!