At some point in October we were discussing our upcoming Thanksgiving plans, Kristin mentioned that she would be running a 5k with her younger sister, Haley. It was going to be Haley's first 5k! Naturally, I took this special sister moment, and I invited myself to participate. I believe a touchstone for true friendship is the ability to blatantly intrude on precious family moments.
I was very excited to run with Kristin and Haley!
First, I have never had the opportunity to run a race with Kristin. When I say run with Kristin, I mean "run with" Kristin in a more theoretical way. We would run in the same race, but she runs much faster than myself (I would describe it as road runner-esque).
Second, Haley is super cool. I do not spend a lot of time with 12 year old kids, because that would be weird since I am not a middle school teacher. Other than both of us being outside the target demographic of the Juniors' department at the mall, we would have little in common; however, Haley is an exception. She is one fantastic kid (tween?). I like to think it is because she has a ton of awesome role models, but given that her awesomeness surpasses all of ours, I think it is a result of nature, not nurture. I still remember Haley's epic dance moves from Kristin's wedding. Gabby's Gobble 5k was held in Lewes, Delaware, which is an adorable beach town. Who doesn't want to run in an adorable beach town? One of the many reasons that I love running races is that most races are raising money for an incredibly worthy cause, and this race was no exception. Our race benefited the Get Well Gabby Foundation, which raises money to find a cure for childhood brain cancer. If you're interested, check out the organization at http://getwellgabby.org/about-us/our-mission/
I have noticed a special energy among both the runners and the volunteers during races that benefit cancer and at the military races in DC area. I really encourage participating in these races, or any race that benefits a worthy cause, in some way. It will give you a fantastic case of hopefulness.
It was a chilly morning, but Kristin, Haley, Kristin's father and brother, myself, and my mother pinned on our numbers and headed to the start. Did I mention that I invited my mother to participate? If I am going to impose, I am not going to half ass it.
In honor of Thanksgiving, some people were dressed as turkeys. My favorite "turkeys" were the people who were wrapped in aluminum foil...leftover turkey. In hindsight, we should have made family costumes, but maybe next year.
Kristin ran with her dad, and Haley was nice enough to let me run with her. Haley rocked the 3.1 miles, as I suspected she would. The race started and finished at Irish Eye's in Lewes. The post-race goodies included Bloody Marys and hot dogs (aka, the breakfast of champions). My mother asked if she could have a mimosa. I had to explain to her that 5ks are not open bars.
The race was a fantastic way to start a day full of eating. I felt refreshed and energized when I arrived at my in-law's house for Thanksgiving. I have a lot of in-laws, and they are all great cooks. When I say a lot, I am not talking 10 or 12. For the first few years I dated my husband, relatives just kept coming out of the woodwork at family functions. For a while, I thought it was some sort of weird test just to see how many names I could remember. Turns out they are genuinely all related, but we are getting off topic.I definitely think the Gabby's Gobble 5k should become a Hansen, Ward, Thompson, Lands, Brown family tradition. The race was a blast and went off nicely, especially considering it was the inaugural year. I can't wait to see what Kristin is doing for Christmas. I will make sure my stocking is hung by her family's chimney with care.
Kristin and Haley, thank you so much for letting me get in on your Thanksgiving Day action. You two are the best.
