Running Family

It can definitely be said that parents "run around chasing their kids" (as a graduate student, I feel an irresistable temptation to add a footnote/endnote/reference to any quotes). Yesterday, we decided to do run around literally: Teia and I would run in a local 5K (the Danny Oates 5k, held on the morning of Bedford Day) and Kai and Louise would take part in the Kiddies Run held in an adjacent field. Teia would be quite the little queen as the soul passenger in the double-wide Chariot jogger; we hoped she wouldn't panic w/o her brother there to comfort her (or maybe she would enjoy the experience of sitting peacefully w/o a constant elbow in the chest??? Time would tell....) Meanwhile, Kai was busy all week doing sprints in the house to be tuned up. He was all business, this one.

We got there a little late and had to rush over to our respective starting lines. Here is Kai, toeing the line, with his game face on and laser-focus on the finish line (which was across a soccer field).

Sadly, I wasn't able to watch the Red & Black Flash do his thing but Louise said he did great. He was entered into the 3-4 yr age group and as one would expect, when the 'Go' signal was given, the start wasn't quite the Olympics 100m dash. A few kids needed reminders, some needed steering as little bodies spread over the field like random water droplets. Kai had a blast running across the field, so much so that when he was done, the 5-6 yr age groupers started, he decided to do THAT race too! (he also got a 2nd medal; they must have thought he was quite a little 5 yr old!)

Afterwards, he was quite pleased with his performance: all that hard training, early morning starts, strict diet regimen, and abstinence had paid off!

Meanwhile, in the 'big kids' race, Teia and I were wondering where to position ourselves. Too far back and I'd be walking, but I still felt a little shy about toeing the front line w/ this ginormous stroller. So I decided to take the side (thinking it'd be easier to scoot around people) a couple rows back. Unfortunately, a pack of HS girls took position nearby, and with earplugs firmly in-place, proceeded to block the road for a good 1/4 mile. I was also on the wrong side of the road, the side everyone ELSE was hugging, so there was no where to scoot outside to.

Luckily, this was a very local race where the 'ringers' were mostly HS XC runners. There were about 200+ entrants, so after a short distance, space quickly opened up and Teia and I started to move up - a little TOO quickly. I felt a little pent-up after the slow start and it felt so good to have some open room (and pass people w/ a stroller) that all of a sudden I was right behind the leaders! By the way, passing people w/ a stroller is like passing a Porsche while driving a Minivan. Childish, unnecessary, even a little dangerous, but still satisfying!

The leaders in this case were mostly HS runners w/ one older guy. I don't think any of them were very impressed to be sharing the lead w/ a baby stroller and at about the halfway point, the eventual winner took off. I was too cooked from my leap to the front and I settled/waddled most of the way home. At one point, another HS kid was running near me and I was tempted to say to him "You're not going to let a guy w/ a stroller beat you, are you??" but he got the message anyway and left me in the dust. So, no, he wasn't going to let a guy w/ a stroller beat him!

Passing the crowds was interesting - most clapped, but I did notice a few people just staring. I wondered if they thought "How dare he endanger that child by running in a race?" At the finish, after I walked through the chute, a woman walked up and peered into the stroller (not saying a word, mind you) as if to check that the child was OK and she didn't have to call Child Services. I tell you, there was an odd vibe sometimes...

But overall, most people cheered happily. They seemed to know most of the other runners so most people were cheered by name. As I came near the finish line, I scanned for Louise and Kai, hoping he wasn't still running himself (or decided to join the 5K after his cross-field warmups). I saw them at the final corner, so I figured I better put my tongue back into my mouth, straighten my posture, and look like I'm doing something other than suffering...

Teia took the whole race in-stride w/ nary a peep. At one point, as a woman cheered me on, Teia let out a little hoot; I assumed she was cheering me on too, or she was saying "C'mon dad, step on it! I finished my mum-mum 1.2miles ago and I need a diaper change!"

Oh, the race also had pretty good score for such a small race: bananas, juice from Whole Foods, tea bags (yeah, I didn't get it either, but I grabbed some) and a new Nalgeen bottle (I won my age group: I told you it was a small race!!). Ironically, Louise had just given me heck over the cleanliness of my current Nalgeen bottle that morning, so I was pretty pleased to check that box off (the box that says "Get a new Nalgeen bottle")!