The Heart Run

The Heart Run 5K is the season-opener for runners in Anchorage. It's the first guaranteed snow-free Saturday of the year . . . usually. Last year it got canceled because it snowed a bunch the day before. But this year it was a bright, sunny day.

Since Josh started going to Huffman Elementary, we've had extra pressure to run the race. With two kids at Huffman this year, we had no choice. Huffman takes pride in putting together one of the biggest "teams" at the Heart Run. This year their team was 450 runners strong, but I think they got beat by Bayshore Elementary (Matt's alma mater).

Josh, Liz and I all signed up while Matt and Tali came for support. I showed mercy to Josh and Liz and signed them up for the untimed 3K, while I tortured myself with the competitive 5K. I was hoping to run it in under 22 minutes and I did it in 22:05. I don't know if that counts as accomplishing my goal or if I have to try again this summer. Toward the end I was running next to a guy in a frog suit, when I heard the kids and Matt all yell, "Beat the frog!" I thought, Why does this guy have to torture me more by being a goon and waving at everyone while I'm dying? So I did beat him, just to punish him for his ridiculous antics.

Right when my race finished, the kids' race started. We let them run the first mile solo and they didn't disappoint. At 50 yards, Josh and Liz were in the top 10. Kids are crazy. I waited for Josh and Liz at the 3K turnoff. When Josh came by I signaled, but he was running with two boys from his class and if they were doing the whole 5K, so was he. That surprised me because Josh has never really formed a bond with his competitive side.

Well, Saturday was the day Josh found his fire, and their names were Vinny and Jacob.

All I could see was sheer pain in his eyes, but he wouldn't let his friends beat him. At the end I tipped him off when he had about 200 yds left. When I've said something like that in the past, he has always looked at me like so should we walk then? But not that day. He picked it up into a sprint and left his buddies in the dust.

I learned something from him that day, and it had something to do with being tough. I decided that the next time I race I'll make it hurt like Josh. Then, when I looked at his time, I realized something else - if I don't make it hurt like Josh, I might get beat by Josh!! He finished in 24:18.

After we finished, we waited for Liz. When I saw her at the cutoff, she was running with Mrs. Besh and a 2nd grade boy who wasn't going to beat Liz no matter what (Liz has been in touch with her competitive side for quite some time now). Liz finished a few minutes behind Josh with a big smile on her face. That girl loves running . . . and beating second grade boys in the sprint finish :)

So, we all had a good day.

Josh beat his friends.

Liz beat an older boy.

I beat a frog.

Tali ran so fast that she fell and got a fat lip.

And Matt purposely wore non-running shoes so he wouldn't be temped to run anywhere.

And then we all got ice-cream and rushed off to the Pinewood Derby District Championships . . . more to come on that.