Results:
http://www.seattle.gov/parks/healthyparks/files/fun_run_results.pdf
Pictures:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/photogalleries/localnews2016035529/
Introduction:
My wife is out of town this weekend. She is having a "Mom's getaway Weekend" with another mom. That left dad in charge of the kids...so if you thought they were dressed crazy or their hair looked crazy...that's not my fault...
I knew that there was a half-marathon run at Warren G Magnuson Park in Seattle. My wife sent me the link to the "Big Day of Play".
http://www.seattle.gov/parks/healthyparks/big_day.htm
- 3-on-3 basketball tournament
- 5k Fun Run
- Kids' race
- Paddle boarding
- Swimming
-Dog Agility Course
-Kids bouncers
-Kids activities (face painting, bubbles, crafts, obstacle courses, etc)
-Vendors tents
-A stage with Kid's bands such as Recess Monkey, Dance teams, and drill teams.
It was sponsored by Seattle Parks.
The 5k was free...but I guess if you wanted to register in the few days before the event, it was $25.
Pre-race:
We arrived at the registration about 9:10...20 minutes prior to the start of the race. I paid my $25 and didn't feel bad. I figured that since the Seattle Parks was putting on this huge event, I should be happy to only pay $25. I don't feel bad donating my money to good causes, either. Considering it was very last minute, I don't mind. Since I had the jogging stroller, I knew I wasn't going to get a personal record so I could just enjoy the run with the kids without any pressure.
Registration was quick. I filled out the form, got my race bib and we were done. There was no timing chip, so I quickly figured that it would be manually timed.
I had the 2 kids (3 and 4) in a double jogging stroller. My son wanted to wear the number so I pinned it on his shirt. I then loaded them in the stroller with 2 water bottles and plenty of snacks.
We then went down to the starting line. There were only about 50 people so I figured that this was either their first time doing it or it was very low key. My son then retired the race bib back to me. I put the sunblock on them, got them set up and we waited patiently. Since I had the stroller, I tried to start near the "back" however there weren't enough people to make enough of a crowd...so I just started to the side of everyone else.
The Race:
After a few brief announcements, the race began. I have never been around the boundaries of the park so I had no idea what to expect of the course. I haven't run with the stroller in a long time, and our kids have grown a lot since then so I had no idea what my pace would be. Adventures are fun, so it was sort of exciting.
-I established a pace based on what the other runners looked like in about 300m. I decided to settle into the pack (which is hard when pushing a stroller). After another 200m, I started to pass the people who started out too hard. I was able to get a better feeling of who actually runs at my pace at about .6 miles.
-At Mile 1 the pack had thinned out quite a bit and I knew that it was time to "hunker" down and start focusing on my pace. At mile one, it looked as though there might be 2 more people to pass before the race was over.
-At Mile 1.2 I passed one of the two people. The other one was quite a ways in front of me.
-At Mile 1.5 the kids started to complain for more snacks. I pulled to the side and stopped. I got snacks for them hoping that the person I just passed didn't pass me again. That is like a car passing you at 90 mph on the freeway and then running into traffic and you passing them 3 minutes later.
...Luckily...I didn't get passed during the snack break.
-From Mile 1.6 to Mile 2.3, I started to break down. I was getting fatigued from pushing the stroller and the run was wearing in on me. My daughter kept encouraging me which was cool. "You're doing a great job, Daddy!". At mile 2.1, I saw one of the runners had removed their bib and was walking back. Based on the location, it appeared that they ran about 1.2 miles before giving up. It is hard to see that. I wished that I could be near them about the point where they had decided to give up, and I wished that I could say the right words to encourage them to keep going and to finish. Some people make big goals (like a 5k) and when it gets hard they give up. They probably signed up for the 5k to challenge their lives in some way...and it is hard to see that this ended up being another challenge in which the voices in their head got the best of them and told them to give up. It probably told them, "Nobody is having as hard of a time as you are." or "All of those people are faster than you. This is their thing...It's not yours." It is hard to see somebody throw in the towl.
-I passed the second person that I saw at mile 2.4.
-I looked forward to the finish but knew that this was the time where the pain sets in.
-At 2.8 miles, I thought my daughter asked, "Can I put this wrapper (from the snack)in the stroller?" I responded, "Yes.". Shortly afterwards, I watched a wrapper get thrown on the ground. I guess I misunderstood her. I stopped the stroller and picked it up. I had to get the stroller going again.
-At 3.0 miles, My body began fatiguing. I was gulping in air, I couldn't keep the sweat out of my eyes, and the stroller felt like 150 lbs. I knew the finish was coming so I began digging in harder.
I crossed the finish line, tore off my bib tag and gave it to them. The 3 of us got some water and we went to see Recess Monkey doing their sound check.
The course was exactly 3.1 miles and I finished just before 26:14.
The Kids' Race:
-First off, I am really proud of my son. I am proud of my daughter, too. My daughter just wanted to sit in the stroller through the kids race. At the beginning of the race I watched my son standing with all of the older kids. He was going through all of his "stretching" routines (which looked more like Superhero poses) and stood right up near the front with all of the bigger kids. It was just great to see that my son has no fear when it comes to other kids. He didn't even care that I was there.
-I walked beside him while he ran. Even though he was dead last after 100m, he just kept on running. Both my daughter and I kept encouraging him. He began to walk after the first turn. My daughter got out of the stroller and began running. Both kids were now running.
Both of the kids crossed the finish line and collected their ribbons. It was one of those parent moments that just fills your heart knowing that your kid just accomplished something bigger than themselves.
Even though the measurement of the 5k was spot on, the Kid's 1k was actually about 450m.
After the Race:
-We went and talked to Recess Monkey for a few minutes.
-We went to the Arena sports inflatable slide. This slide was much harder than other slides, but both kids were still able to make it up the climbs to go down the slide.
-We jumped on the bouncers
-We went back and watch Recess Monkey and ate lunch. We were there while they performed "Down", "Grandma", and "Haven't got a pet yet"
-We played with bubbles
-We went on the gymnastics obstacle course. (Several times)
-We watched some basketball
-We watched 3 dogs go through the Dog Agility Course
-We went back and listened to the winners of the 5k.
-We got back in the car and headed home.
That is a big day for a 3 and 4 year old.
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