Saturday, February 11, 2012

Kids' Marathon 2012

I haven't been blogging because I haven't been taking any pictures. And I haven't been taking pictures because I haven't felt like taking any pictures. But while waiting for that picture-taking desire to return, I couldn't miss posting about one of our most fun kid events of the year, the Mercedes Kids' Marathon. It's one of the things that our city does really well (well okay the city probably doesn't actually do it, but it takes place in the city, so I'm counting it). The kids run a total of 26.2 miles for the kids' marathon - 25.2 in PE class over the course of the fall semester, and then the final mile on the fun-filled Kids' Marathon day.

Race day was cold, really really cold. Not Red Nose Ten Miler 2010 cold (which becomes colder with stiffer winds every time my running pal and I tell the tale of that day, but I do not exaggerate when I say that we actually saw sweat freezing on people's necks -- it was kind of freaky. After that we vowed that we would never run in temperatures below 20 degrees again. And I've stuck to it. Heck, I think I've actually revised it upwards to 30 degrees).

Anyway, yesterday was probably 30-ish, wind chill 20-ish. But that didn't stop the 9 year old from running in shorts:



From my observations during my afternoons in carpool line, tween boys are impervious to cold. I marvel as I watch them waiting casually for their ride in shorts and t-shirts on a 40 degree day, jackets stuffed in backpacks, oblivious to the chill, while the moms who walked on foot to pick up their kids are huddling in parkas.

Jacob did put on some pants when he was done with the race:



Kindergartners and first graders are allowed to run with parents, and Elizabeth had originally asked me to run with her. But after we met up with some of her friends in the first grade starting corral, I was pretty sure that I was going to end up being a spectator.



She broke it to me gently, and I hustled to the finish line to see her kicking it at the end.



The kids obliged for a quick post-race photo with their medals:



although by this point the cold was causing mass emotional breakdowns all around.

We went for our traditional post-race lunch at Five Guys and all was well in the world again. Another fun Mercedes Kids' Marathon in the books!

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