I ran my first 5K today. Well, ran and walked. It was a perfect day in Volcano, HI. I finished with a smile and I made sure I ran the last 3/4 mile so I could show off for Robert when I crossed the finish line. I came in behind a woman with a double stroller so maybe I wasn't all that impressive.
The race benefited the Volcano Art Center. I snapped a photo as I passed. The other photo is after I passed a turn around point. I was pleased to see that there were people still behind me. Look at the time on the finish clock below. I was going to tell my running family and friends that was a 10K time! It's only slightly faster than my walking pace.
The real story of the day was Solomon. He agreed to do the race with me but insisted we walk, not run, because he had basketball practice this afternoon and didn't want to tire himself out. We knew his cousin Jacob would be running the 5K. Jacob's high school cross country team all ran. Solomon talked to Jacob and some other friends while we were waiting to start. One friend told him that he'd won $50 for placing first in his age division in a 5K. That's all Solomon needed to hear. He was in the 9-13 age bracket. He's about two weeks away from turning 14. He's fit and he knew he could be competitive. He was. He placed 5th in his age division and was the 49th runner to finish overall. GREAT job! He's at basketball practice now so we'll see how dead tired he is when he gets home.
My sister, Amy, gave me some inspiration. Amy does marathons so anything she says about running must be gospel. She mentioned that she and her son had recently done a 5K and that her son "hates to run." BLING! The light bulb came on over my head. I can make Abraham run -- he hates it, too! And here's a perfect opportunity for the mom to make the child do something he hates that is really good for him (like brushing teeth, and taking piano lessons, and eating sweet potatoes, and using correct grammar). The Hilo Bay 5K is next month and we just might have the whole family there!
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