The Zoo 5k and kids' race

Before I get started on this post, I need to tell you the reason I'm almost a month behind in posting updates ... I dropped/lost my camera in the Tidal Basin in front of the Jefferson Memorial in Washington DC.  True story.  I had a couple of ugly cries about it and I'm (a little) over it.  I lost 6 months of photos (all that hadn't been posted on the blog) And it really killed my blogging and picture taking mojo.  Luckily, Husband took a few pictures at the zoo and a few in DC on his phone so we're not completely pictureless ... but I am completely cameraless. boo.

Anyway, the zoo race was fun.  I didn't have any kind of record setting time (not by a long shot) but I did finish two minutes faster than I had been practicing at home.  So that WAS a victory.  My iPod froze right after the first mile and that was frustrating but I just tried to keep my pace and walk as little as possible.  There was a woman power walking behind me that would catch up to me when I was walking and she'd encourage me to keep going and get back to running every time she caught up to me.  She was a really big help in keeping me going.  I tried to find her after the race for a sweaty hug of thanks but I had zero luck with that.

The biggest most exciting part of the day for the kids was getting to run in the Chicken Cha-Cha (the short race for 3 and 4 year olds).  It was their first race and we practiced for weeks.  There were about 30 kids and it was mass chaos.  The kids had to run through and around the petting zoo barn and back to the finish line.  Son was in third place until he spotted the llama (every one remember when the llama spit on us last year? HE sure does.)  Well, he saw the llama, shrieked and turned around to run away.  luckily, one of the volunteers turned him around and encouraged him to keep going.  Bless is heart, he was a blubbering mess of llama fear and race excitement when he finished almost last.  Daughter ended up finishing 6th and did a great job.  They were both so excited to get race medals and race t-shirts to celebrate the day.

All three racers celebrating their finishes.

Daughter pretending to be a lion.

Son enjoying his carousal ride.

It was a lot of fun and, I think, easier than last year.  But I think that was because I was more familiar with the route that was mostly the same.  

I've only signed up for one more race (the Color Run on Labor Day) but I might do one or two more between now and then.  Right now I'm just concentrating on increasing my pace so that the power walkers can't catch up to me when I need to slow down and walk! It's slow going and hard but unless I break an ankle or some other such horrible thing, I'm going to keep at it.  My ultimate goal is a 30 minute 5k.  It's a long way away but I want to do it.  badly.