Santa Run 5k

Tonight we started yet another tradition. We left the two little boys home with a babysitter and Jeff and I and Kira, Calvin and Kate all went down to Provo for the Santa Run. Instead of a shirt, they gave us a complete (and very cheap) Santa suit (made of felt), hat and beard. Along with a few hundred other people we braved the cold and ran a 5k to the cheerful sound of Christmas music, bells ringing and only a little whining from 6 year old Kate. The Tillmans came too, so there were 9 of us in all.

Calvin improved his time from his last 5k by a few minutes and Kira took 5th in her age group (even though Calvin still beat her by quite a bit). I "ran" with Kate and Kira. They both did great for the first mile. They ran steady and strong. By mile 2 we were having some meltdowns with Kate and Kira decided to run ahead on her own. I held Kate's hand the entire 3.1 miles and by the last few blocks she finally got a second wind and ran through the finish line with a smile. We came in at around 45 minutes. I was just glad we weren't dead last. (Not by much though) :) I was really proud of all 3 of my kids but Kate in particular for finishing. She was really proud of herself and felt a real sense of accomplishment. These 5k's are becoming a really fun family activity. Although it is time to start improving our time a bit. :)

There were milk and cookies and See's candy sticks at the aid stations, handed out by Santa's helpers decked out in elf hats and t-shirts. I think that was the highlight for the kids. That and the now traditional stop at Krispy Kreme after the race. (We stopped after my half marathon and after our Freedom Festival 5k in July so now apparently it's "tradition."). Why do we always sabotage our attempt at healthy living with a binge of sugar afterward?