I ran!

What a day!

Celia twisted her ankle yesterday playing hide n seek with friends (at 16, crazy kids, she reports they had a blast) and considered not running this morning. We assigned her "documentarian" role and had her hold our jackets and take pictures. Five minutes before the race, she changed her mind!

Mary Grace took the stuff back to the car, and I ended up tying my car key to my laces. We took off together but quickly separated. My slow jog was actually faster than Mary Grace's sore muscles (from last week's PE class at school) and Celia's sore ankle. They walked and jogged, Celia going back and forth between us.

I didn't even see mile one, but did get some water at the first table. Walked a few times, but mostly ran. Came up on a pretty little pond with ducks and dark purple flowers. Around a corner, another pond on the other side with ducks and Canada geese, and another family manning a water table, cheering us on. Terrific!

Close to mile two (wasn't I surprised to see the mile marker!) the girls caught up to me. I told Celia (always anxious to zoom ahead and feeling great now) to go ahead and run. Mary Grace's walking speed was actually... my "running" speed. LOL

Lots more cheering and a few hills and downhills, then mile marker three. One of the Running Club members encouraged us and then told us our time (which I didn't really register). At the corner where we started down to the end (back at the beginning actually) we got more encouragement to keep it up. Top of the last hill, another Club member told us to keep up the pace and then turn it on at the end, it's our race! Was just what I needed to hear, my knees were starting to hurt.

Mary Grace ran ahead, then Celia appeared. She'd finished and came back to run with me a bit. I made it across the finish line! Children handed each finisher a carnation. :-)

Our Results:

Celia - 40:45
Mary Grace - 44:32
Me! - 45:21

I went to get some water and a banana, and to walk and cool down. Was hoping to hang around, check out the sponsor tables and get a coffee and bagel - but then they announced that where they'd told us to park - we all needed to move as the business owner was towing cars! Ack! The girls were getting bagels, so I went to move the car, and planned to come back and get them. Didn't know they were following me. So we just went home and stretched out.

All in all, it was a fun day. The girls are doing great, I'm a little sore and I'm sure my right knee will be killing me in the morning, but for now, I'm just happy.