Last year as I was running my first post-baby 10k in the Utah Human Race on Thanksgiving, I noticed some kids running in it. I thought Makenzie might like to give it a shot and be ready for it the next year. After the race, some of my friends mentioned they were thinking the same thing and wanted to do it with their daughters.
As Thanksgiving approached, we realized Makenzie's 8th birthday would actually be on Thanksgiving! I told her about the race and she was eager to try it out. I thought it would be a pretty cool 8th birthday accomplishment! And fun to do with friends.
So a few weeks before the race, we did a few short runs to get ready. We went out as a family one night, with Kyle and Micah both squeezed into the stroller. Jarom totally kept up as we ran a mile around the neighborhood in the dark. :) It was pretty fun, the kids loved it.
Makenzie also enjoyed the privilege of running on the treadmill, which is usually off limits to the kids. She did 3 one-mile training runs. It was pretty cool seeing her challenge herself to different speeds. I think she was a little nervous about falling off of it. She kept saying, "Jarom, don't distract me!" She's focused. :)
Thanksgiving morning came, and Makenzie got up early on her birthday for her big race day! Jarom and Dad got ready for the Matagi Turkey Bowl.
Here we are with my friends Naomi and Michelle and their daughters, Kenzie's good friends.
About halfway through, I saw Makenzie and Rylee holding hands. Pretty cute.
The last half mile was not Makenzie's favorite experience ever. That's far for a little kid! She wanted to walk but she also wanted to run to get it over with. I know that feeling!! She took off when she saw that finish line.
Here she is feeling accomplished.
And here are the girls enjoying a nice break on their legs.
Naomi was so sweet and got the girls medals because this race doesn't do them. They look so cute with their medals and running bibs on, what an accomplishment for a little kid! Kenz wore her medal all day. Way to go, Kenzer!!
Naomi, Michelle and I have run several races together so it was really cool to see our daughters experience that for the first time. I hope we all do it again next year, and maybe more moms/kids from our ward will join us. I think it would be a really cool Thanksgiving tradition for Kenz and I since the boys have their Matagi Turkey Bowl tradition.
This race also just increased my desire to run shorter distance races this year. How cool to train for a 5k!! That time commitment seems much more manageable. And on race day? You're done in less than half an hour. That is sweet! I am not fast. Justin laughs at my attempts to sprint. He beats me in a sprint every single time. But that could be a new goal for me. Which is what keeps running interesting. New goals. Trying something different. And on top of it all, 5k's are cheap. I am in love with this new goal. Somebody sign me up for a 5k, stat! ;)
Oh, and in case you were wondering, I did turn on MapMyRun out of curiosity how long it would take us and it took us about 40 minutes. We all finished right about the same time. Seriously so good, these girls are awesome!!
