Girls on the Run 5k

Our sweet Corrine loves to run and she runs fast! 

Years ago we heard about a program called Girls on The Run, but you had to be in 3rd grade to join. Last year when Corrine got into 3rd grade, she signed up instantly. Our friend Kathleen was the coach at our school and Corrine feel in love with the program.
Corrine and I ran 3 5k's together last fall, and we both realized how much we both like to run. After an ankle injury at the final 5k in November, I was grounded for a few months. I got my ankle stronger and started running with her again. Then this September after signing up and getting so excited to run together I hurt my back really bad. I couldn't get up from sitting without pain for a month. It took nearly 8 weeks total to get and stay pain free. I wanted to run with Corrine, but I couldn't. I cried the day I told her that I would need to find her a new running buddy. She was sad at first, but then understood.
I asked a few friends if they could run with her and the happiest, brightest smiling friend Jolynn said she would love to run with her. Corrine would see her at church and was getting excited to run with her. At the practice 5k Corrine finished with a huge smile on her face thanks in large part to Jolynn. The next few weeks every time Joylnn saw her she'd talk to her about the race and how excited she was for it. Corrine was getting more excited every time they talked.

This morning Corrine got up to get ready and said she was nervous, but ready to run. Jolynn came to get her and off they went to the race.

The next time we saw her she was running with a group of friends-Kara Hartley, Grace & Amy Goodman and Jolynn and she had the BIGGEST smile on her face. All nervousness of running was gone.

She was in her element!

The race started right out of the tennis building. They went down the road and right into the Ashton Cross Country course. We weren't exactly sure where they were running and we didn't want to miss her finishing, so we hung out at the finish line.

 While we waited the kids played on some rocks with Grandpa Smith. The only picture I have of Rebecca from today is her holding onto Grandpa's leg.

At 32 minutes into the race, Corrine and Jolynn came around the corner heading to the finish line. Corrine looked comfortable and relaxed. She saw the finish and she turned on her final burners and sprinter to the finish line.

Some stats from the race:
Corrine & Joylnn finished in 32:01 minutes.
They were the 107th and 108th runners to finish.
They had a 10:20 mile pace.
Corrine was the 27th in her age group of under 10.
Jolynn was 8th in her age division.
There were a total of 671 runners.

Corrine had such a great time today and was surrounded by so many wonderful women. She's already told me that she wants Jolynn, Kara and mom to be her running buddies next spring!!!

Girls on The Run is SO Much Fun

Today was our final run for Girls on The Run. We meet our team at the Tennis Building @ 8:30 this morning. We did some hanging out, then we stretched and walked over as a big group to the starting line.
There were over 250 girls and running buddies in pink GOTR shirts. It truly was a sea of pink at the starting line.
There were so many people at the starting line that we didn't even hear them start the race, we just saw everyone start so we followed.
The run was at the Ashton Cross Country course at the University of Iowa. It's a natural course with grass and dirt. The course was fairly easy with only a few small hills.
We started towards the back of the group, but we started passing others right away. Corrine is such a fast runner but she stayed with me the entire time even though she could have left me in the dust. This run was hard for me because I'd been sick with a cold for the last 10 days and hadn't been able to excerise much the past week and my right ankle was hurting with every step. I kept asking Corrine if she wanted to run faster without me, but she kept saying that she'd stay with me.
We crossed the finish line at 34:23, slower then I was hoping we would get, but still pretty fast for me being sick this week.
Corrine was given a medal as she finished. Once all of our girls finished running, we walked back to the Tennis building for some snacks and pictures.
This was such a fun experience that we are excited to do again this spring. We told the kids that we'll start training as a family in the spring to run a 5K together. I did fun runs/walks as a kid and I remember them being so much fun.

Run for Relief

This morning Corrine ran our 1st official 5K at Lower City Park with Run for Relief. The race was put on by City High's cross country team. All the money raised was given to Joplin Highschool to help rebuild their highschool that was destroyed by a tornado earlier this year.

When we left our house it was sunny and cool and we could see clouds coming. By the time we got to the park it was cloudy and windy and COLD! After we checked in Johann ran home to get warmer clothes and gloves for everyone.

There were around 100 runners in the race. At the starting line there were 2 dogs behind us that made Corrine uncomfortable and she struggled for the 1st quarter mile worried they would come near her.
After the 1st quarter mile she settled down as the dogs got further behind us.


At mile marker 1 we had a pace of 9 minutes and I was working hard, but she was still comfortable. A few City High cross country runners ran by right then and asked her how old she was. She told them and then kept running with them. From them on she ran ahead of me. She was able to keep her pace the entire time.

The final results from the race were:
Corrine #48 29:15.4 Pace 9:26.3
Kari #56 30:05.2 Pace 9:42.3



She was 21st in her age group (18 and younger).
I was 4th in my age group (30-39).

It's so fun to watch Corrine run and to see how much she loves it. She has such a natural talent for running. She's already talking about running cross country in Junior High.

It was such a fun run and it made me want to do more!! I'm so excited that Corrine wanted me to be her running buddy for Girls on the Run. It helped give me that kick I needed to start running again. It's been hard to start running after 13 years of not running, but it's been so worth it!
This race gave the boys the running bug, so we've talked about training as a family this spring to do a 5K together. I remember lots of walks/runs I did as a family when I was a kid. I'm excited to do a walk/run with our whole family!!

WE DID IT!!!

Today Corrine and I ran a practice 5K with her Girls on the Run group. My goal going into the run was to run half the race and to finish in under 45 minutes.



The route was a 1 mile loop with a killer hill right before the end. The 1st lap I ran the entire time watching Corrine a couple of houses in front of me. I finished in 11 minutes. The 2nd lap I was gaining on Corrine, but she was still out of reach. I finished the 2nd lap at 22 minutes, another 11 minute mile. The 3rd mile I finally caught up with Corrine halfway through the lap. I got her and Sophia to run with me at a steady pace. We went up the hill slowly, but we ran the whole thing. When we got to the corner and could see the finish line we sprinted to the finish line. We came in at 33:41.
I blew my goal of 45 minutes out of the water!!!

What an amazing experience this was. Corrine and I are planning to run another 5K at the beginning of November before our final race on November 19th.