Running the 5K

My two-year-old participated in her first official race, this Sunday. Oh she was so excited! She could barely stand it.

The Neighborhood Co-op Grocery in Carbondale hosted the Nutrition 5K and Kid K for the 14th year in a row and they did a splendid job. What a perfect way to start our Tamil New Year which happened to fall on the same day.

First I did the 5K with a dear friend. We signed up to walk, but barely ten minutes into it, started running (slowly!) and we ran all the way to the finish line. 

I felt like a wheezing hippo gasping-for-air by the end of it, but so glad we were able to run the whole length.

Then it was Little Miss M's turn at the Kid K. Not yet 3-years-old, she was among the youngest to participate.

Dad ran with her to keep her company. And she ran all the way! Oh I was so proud!

The sweetest part of the run was the build-up to it. The lady in black shorts, sang the children's song, "Head, shoulders, knees and toes" to get the little ones to stretch before the race! It was the cutest thing to see and certainly an "Awww" moment for all of us.

The point of participating in local 5K races is not just getting in shape and raising money for charity. Its such a positive, upbeat environment to surround yourself with early on a Saturday morning and a great way of modeling health and fitness to your young ones.

We're already talking about participating in more 5K's as a family. Its such a great exercise goal to have in place. And I only see positives coming out of this. No one can argue about the physical and psychological benefits to running.