Third Time's The Charm

This was our family's third year running the Big Blue River Days 5K (formerly called the Rib Run). My mother started the tradition by inviting the family to join her in her first 5K. Have I mentioned how proud I am of her?

The course has been changed to a scenic, pancake flat, gravel rail trail. My dad, youngest brother and niece did the 1 mile walk; my mother, middle brother and sister-in-law did the 5K and Hubz and I ran the 10K.

Every year so far, my mother has been edged out of first place by the only other woman in her age group. We've been fanning the flames of this "rivalry", exhorting her to train hard and claim victory. She's not so sure she has a rivalry but we have been slowly convincing her, I think.

As I am in the midst of training according to the Maffetone method, I am only running slow (keeping my heart rate below my maximum aerobic function number). I started at the back of the pack and right away fell into step with two older gentlemen who had been out the night before at their Class of '66 reunion.  

Allan Ring, Duane Iles and me

I always have great conversations with fellow runners but this was particularly outstanding. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself in the company of a fellow ultrarunner! The guys talked my ear off about everything from the Strolling Jim ultra and Gary Cantrell, trekking in Nepal, a confrontation with Fred Phelps, how to combat altitude sickness, meeting Oscar Pistorious, running Big Sur and Pikes Peak marathon and our family's late beagle-boxer, Petey. Duane Iles and Allan Ring, it was a great pleasure to run with you.

Meanwhile, the race was unfolding far ahead of me and I had no idea what was going down. Luckily, someone from our local paper was taking pictures. All photos are from The Marysville Advocate.

Adam chasing the youngest 5K runner

Hubz hammering. He won his age group and was 6th
overall in the 10K. The first three places overall were won by women!

Adam passing the 1 milers on his way
to 7th place overall (1st in his age group). 

S-I-L Paulyn. She was the only badass pushing a stroller.

Mom on her way to victory, her rival hot on her heels!

Dad and David celebrate at the finish line

As we gathered around at the finish and chatted, they announced the placings. I was pleasantly surprised to hear my mother had triumphed and won her age group!

I think this was my slowest 10K ever. The beauty of a small town race? I got 2nd in my age group. Everyone in the family got medals.

I am so proud of my whole family for running again this year, even in the rain. I hope our 5K tradition continues for a long time.

The Rib Run, Revisited

The weather was stellar. Sixty degrees, no humidity, a little breeze.

The whole family returned to the Rib Run for our second race as a family. We were all a few (or many) pounds lighter thanks to the Whole30 diet which everyone completed!

Most did the 5k again except for Hubz and I who ran the 10k, and my father and sister-in-law and 5 month old niece. They walked the 1 mile loop.

Pre-race stretching

The whole family at the start

A Race Onesie!

Hubz is way ahead of me early in the race. Too bad the race wasn't 12K ...

The thrill of hardware: My six year old niece got third in her age group

Comparing medals with Daddy

Congratulating Grandma on her 2nd place age group medal.

Adam won his age group this year and came in 4th overall. Sweet redemption.

2nd place in my age group. Gonna have to train harder.

Hometown Run

A Kansas winter sunset (photo by Brian McGuirk)

I haven't lived here for 12 years. 

One of my favorite things to do when I'm home for the holidays is to go for a run on the country roads on the edge of my hometown.  Running is a blend of nostalgia and seeing things I never noticed from behind the windshield. It always surprises me how short the distance from my parents' house to the edge of town is, when it used to seem so long.

Hubz and I went late one afternoon in the waning daylight. We had the country road all to ourselves, the quiet solitude punctuated by the rhythmic crunching of ice and gravel with every footfall. 

The blood orange hue of the setting sun, the snow-covered fields, the cold air pockets at the bottom of each hill. 

The first true winter run of the season was a sensory feast.

Happy New Year.

A Family Affair

Hubz running with my Mom early in the race

Do you think you'll still be running when you're 72 years old?  I sure hope I will. 

Would you try running for the first time at 72 years old, if you'd never run before?

This Spring my mother decided to do just that. She wanted to run a 5K race. 

She wanted the whole family to run, too. Unless you count my brother Adam who runs a couple of miles occasionally for fitness, no one else in my family runs. My father had a hip replacement two years ago and is plagued by arthritis. So this was a pretty big deal for my family.

After conferring with everyone, she signed us all up for a 5K (and my father for the 1 mile) in our small hometown in Kansas. With the Couch to 5K Program, and Hubz and I offering up advice and encouragement, everyone started training.

Except that I was sidelined with my tendon trouble. Other family members did varying degrees of training on a sporadic basis. Some did almost no training. But my mother did her training faithfully and put in 3 days of running for 10 weeks.

Even before race day, I was filled with pride and admiration for my mother.

 

Race day itself couldn't have been more perfect. The weather was ideal, cool and sunny.  

The whole family got to the start on time (no small feat!) and we fit in a short walking warmup. 

And then we were off! 

The race crossed the Spring Creek twice each way
on the out and back course

Hubz and I stuck with my Mom and everyone else ran their own pace. 

My niece was supposed to do the 1 mile with my father but as soon as we all took off there was no holding her back. She ran in spurts, and aside from a couple of shortcuts (ahem) she did pretty darn well. She might be the real talent in the family.

SIL Shannon, Niece, Mom and Hubz.

Brother Adam took the family win and 2nd in his age group

SIL Paulyn

Halfway there!
Notice the big blue sky, typical in Kansas.

Kansas field in the morning sunlight

Mom's triumphant finish! She even had a little kick at the end.

I am so proud of each and every member of my family for their efforts.  

I think everyone really enjoyed the race. Hubz won his age group and my brothers and mother all took 2nd in their age groups. Next year, my sisters-in-law and I will have to avenge being shut out of the awards. This may just become a new family tradition! 

The family celebrates

Brother David shows off his medal

The 5k was part of a weekend of events celebrating 150 years of the Union Pacific railroad. After the race we strolled around and tasted pork at the Big Blue Barbecue competition and looked at nearly 300 restored classic cars in the auto show on Main Street. 

This car was my favorite

Meanwhile my niece was still going strong, running around playing on giant carnival inflatables, one of which was a centipede with a rather visually disturbing exit.

Inflatable centipede

In church the next day, one of the other ladies my mother's age asked her if she thought she could train for a 5K. A seed is planted ...