Run Norwoods, Run!

In my opinion and experience fun and run are two words that don't really go together. This is because they inevitably mean perspiration and desperation as I would willingly jump on any car, horse, bike, or person passing by for the sweet relief of rest.  A "fun run" though is a good family activity that we can all participate in and we all end up enjoying (after I catch my breath) so I signed us up for the Eskimo Joe's Juke Joint Jog.

Our preparation for the run began on a high note when we picked up our packets at Eskimo Joe's on Friday night and enjoyed some cheese fries.  Carb loading before a race is a must...

Denver can be as skeptical as he wants about our choice of pre-race carbohydrates but those who eat dirt shouldn't judge those who eat things that the dirt has actually been cleaned off of... and don't let that look fool you - he participated in bringing down Mount Sweet Pepper Bacon Cheese Fries.

Saturday morning came and it was a beautiful day to run.  

Philip warmed up by walking with a 25 pound weight on his shoulders.

 

We then lined up and got situated.  Had we been thinking we'd have corrected the guy's number to 829 and 1/2.

 Ready to run...or maybe not by the look on the kids faces...

But the gun fired and off we went ready or not.  Right before the race we ran into some friends of ours so when the race started Denver and Philip ran ahead with the oldest of our group while Annie and I jogged with the middle of the pack with her little friend which ended up motivating both of them to keep going.

Lucky for us Pistol Pete was there to cheer and encourage us on lest we hit the dreaded runner's wall on our one mile trek...

Annie did awesome - she ran more than 3/4 of the mile without slowing and finished strong.

Philip was equally impressive running nearly the whole way with Denver strapped to his chest who clearly loved every minute of it as evidenced by waving his hands and kicking his feet.

We were all handsomely rewarded with blue everyones-a-winner "participant" ribbons which is a step up from the green "I Also Ran" ribbon I was awarded many times at grade school track meets as a kid. (This way from a distance you can fool someone in to thinking you placed first - with a green ribbon that is not a possibility - not that a very young Autumn would have tried that.)

Afterward we headed to the Family Fun Zone where we were served a healthy post-race meal of hotdogs and bananas and there were all sorts of fun things for the kiddos to do.

Annie transformed herself in to a cat and enjoyed the bounce house while Denver worked the cones over...

 and practiced his basketball skills.

We then headed home where Philip and I had a brief burst of energy (or insanity) and did some much needed yard work.  While we did this Annie gathered berries (weeds) and Denver played in the dirt and I'm sure once again consumed some but as the saying goes "God made the dirt and the dirt don't hurt." 

However, a one mile run with a child on you does, as Philip's muscles can attest to a couple of days later...