Run Ed Run 2013

We had a fun time at Run Ed Run this year.  Boris and I were already pretty tired from running a 5K the day before, but this is a nice, flat course so we weren't too worried.  Boris wanted to do the 10K, but I was not convinced I'd be able to handle that after a 5K the day before.  So, he did the 10K and I did the 5K.

Peter and Grady both wanted to do the 5K as well this year.  Peter ran with his friend, Bobby.  We tried to find a friend for Grady to run with but we ended up not seeing them in the crowd.  Grady was planning to walk it with Grandma anyway, but he would have enjoyed having a friend with him.

Peter and Bobby took off right away.  One lap around the track before you get out to the street and the rest of the course.  The boys were running hard with their little legs, but they tired out about 3/4 of the way around and I caught up to them and passed them.

Grady and Grandma told me afterwards that they were some of the last people to finish going around the track.  They even said hi to the guy dressed as Ed (a giant book).  Grady got part way down the street and decided he was too cold and hungry (because obviously I don't actually feed the child).  So they went and sat in Grandma's van.

The run was really good for me.  I felt like I wasn't going to do very well because I forgot my customary race-day GU, but even with that and a run the day before, I was able to sustain an average 9:44min/mile.  While is really, really good for me.  It was really hard and I felt like I wasn't going to be able to keep running the whole way, but I did it.  When I got home and looked back at my previous Run Ed Run times, I found that in 2011 my mile time was 11:47min/mile.  In 2012 it was 10:55min/mile.  So this year's 9:44min/mile means I ran more than a minute faster per mile than last year.  Hard to believe because running is still so difficult for me, but it's so nice to see these improvements.

Boris did fine in his 10K.  I didn't see him cross the finish line because I had to drive Peter up to a friend's house for a birthday party right after Peter finished running.  But Boris was really tired afterwards.  He was barely feeling like walking after he got home.

Peter finished the 5K in just over 42 minutes.  He and Bobby walked and ran throughout the race, and Bobby's mom kept up with them most of the time.  Peter didn't seem too tired afterwards and he had a ton of fun at the birthday party.

Grady got to stick around Run Ed Run until it was his turn to run the Kids' race too.  The 4 and 5 year olds run half way around the track.  

Grady's been excited for his run and loves getting a number and a little medal at the finish line.  He even got to high-five the Tiger this year as he crossed the finish line.

Grady told Boris a couple days ago: I didn't run that fast last year because I had to keep waving to you since you were taking pictures.

Boris made sure Grady knew for this year that he'd just keep up and Grady could run as fast as he wanted to.  Grady looked totally beat as he got around the track to the finish line, but kept talking afterwards that he was faster than two of his friends who raced too.

You can check out the pictures of the race at: Run Ed Run 2013 Pictures There are a couple good ones of Grady and Boris.  I look really tired and sweaty and the pictures I found of Peter sort-of have his head cut off by the photographer's logo.