Girls on the Run 5k

Kaylee has been participating in an after school program called Girls on the Run. She was part of the group in the spring and fall and has just loved it. The program is so much more than running. Here are the core values of the program from the website.

Girls on the Run honors it’s core values. We strive to:
■Recognize our power and responsibility to be intentional in our decision making
■Embrace our differences and find strength in our connectedness
■Express joy, optimism and gratitude through our words, thoughts and actions
■Nurture our physical, emotional and spiritual health
■Lead with an open heart and assume positive intent
■Stand up for ourselves and others  

At the end of the season the girls and their families get to run a 5k together to celebrate the season.  This season the race was held out at Hidden Springs.  It brought back some good memories for me since this was where I ran my first race ever in 2010 at the Dry Creek Half Marathon.

The morning was really cold but the girls were excited to get going.  I was running with Zach and Kaylee was running with her teacher Ms. Parham.  We took off with the excitement of the crowd, or rather I did.  Zach was hanging on for dear life and finally yelled at me to take it easy and stop TRYING TO KILL HIM!!  I settled down and we did a comfortable run/walk around to the last straightaway on Dry Creek Road.  Once we could see the finish line Zach turned the dial up to BEAST mode.  Over the final section Zach ran a 7:49 pace.  I am always amazed how universal the effect of seeing the finish line is for all runners.

Several minutes later Kaylee came chugging around the final turn and I jumped in with her and Ms. Parham to the end.  They had the same finish line drive and it was wonderful to see them and all the participants giving everything they had.

I set a 5k PR running with Zach, finishing in 31:53.  I am signed up for my first official, run my own pace, 5k at the end of December in the Hot Chocolate Run so we'll see if I can improve.