Friday, July 24, 2009

Germanfest 5K Run/Walk

Last night was the Germanfest 5K run/walk that benefits St. Ben's Community Meal Program for the homeless. For the first time this year, a team from our school was organized, and I think we had about 46 participants from MGIS. Ka'iulani ended up finishing the race in 30:58, and I finished in 28:50. If I would have known how close behind me she was, I would have slowed up a bit so we could cross the finish line together. I thought she had stopped to walk when in actuality she just about kept up the entire time.


We saw this sign the day before the race as we walked over to see the art museum. It got Alyssa all pumped up to see the race being advertised :-)


At Germanfest the night of the race, we walked through the front gates, and Em said, "MMmmm, what it that delicious smell?" Here Rebekah and I found the source of the smell...


A pig roast that almost made Emma cry.


The girls and I before the race. Alyssa had never run a race before and she did a great job practicing with me in our neighborhood. Our neighborhood has a few cul de sacs in it, and when she got tired, she would walk the circle (while I jogged it) and meet me back at the top to keep running again. I told her before the race that if she felt like she needed to walk, that was perfectly fine, and that Dad and I would stay right by the finish to meet her. The two little ones stayed with Daddy during the race.


Alyssa and I ran side by side for about the first mile and a half, then she slowly drifted back a little. I wasn't running with a certain time in mind as my goal, I just wanted to finish the race without walking. I figured that I would finish, then walk the route to catch back up to Ka'iulani wherever she had gotten to by that point (I'm not an experienced runner so I don't know if this is allowed at all races, but several people were doing it here). This is right before I crossed the finish line.


This was how monkey Emma kept busy while we were running.


I walked back around the final turn of the race, and there was Alyssa already finished too!!! She was right behind me the whole time, and despite turning around several times to try and spot her, I didn't know she was right there. Around the 2 mile mark, she was running and felt someone tug at her pony tail, and it was Herr Klein, one of the 4th grade teachers at school. They ran the rest of the race together with his girlfriend.


Here Alyssa is in the finish gate waiting for them to tear off her runner id tag from the number pinned to her back. I was so proud of her that she ran the entire race, with only a "five second walk" she told me. I think running the end stretch with a teacher inspired her to give her best effort.


Future MGIS Ladybug (the school's mascot is a ladybug).


Hanging on the gate after the race.


Alyssa and Emma with Herr Klein after the race, he was their bus line teacher last school year, so both girls know him well.


Herr Arndt, our gym teacher. He spoke after the awards were handed out about our school's fitness club.


Emma and Herr Klein.


After the race, showing her support for the German Immersion Team. One of the moms from school came in third place for her age division.


Emma doing a handstand in the grass and Rebekah running up to help her.


A handstand with the Art Museum behind her in the distance. I would have encouraged her to wear a different outfit if I knew she was going to spend the evening doing cartwheels and handstands in the grass.


Rebekah's lunge before her handstand.


Good try!


Getting a foot massage (sort of).

1 comment:

KmCaCFamilyof5 said...

Wow, Alyssa's a fast little runner! I can see why she chose Track for her sport of choice for that camp the other week. She must really enjoy running!