Making Running a Family Affair.

Elsa has repeatedly told me that she wanted to run a race.

I found a kids 1K that was scheduled for a Saturday morning, and I signed her up.

 

At the starting line, Elsa was all smiles.

Then, they started the race.
When Elsa realized that she wasn't going to be able to win, she sat down on the grass and started crying.
I picked her up and started carrying her.  I didn't want her to fall even more behind the other runners.
I managed to convince her to run on her own.
And she did for a little while.

But keeping her going was a task.  She cried the entire race, because she just wanted to be the winner.
Lately, being a poor sport has been a big problem for Elsa.  And it's not one I know how to combat? 

Reagan doesn't have this problem.
And actually, I didn't even sign Reagan up to run the race.  I didn't think she'd have any interest.
She came to the race, to help us cheer Elsa on.
But once Reagan saw the race start, she couldn't contain her exuberance!  Reagan took off running.  I think she cut a few corners...  But she finished the race.
I wasn't sure about how to handle it, because I hadn't paid an entry fee for Reagan?
And I was going to catch her, and cut her off before she crossed the finish line...  But then I saw the determination on her face, and I couldn't bear to stop her.

The race organizers were kind, and they gave Reagan a medal for finishing, anyway.
Reagan was so happy when she reached the end of the race.
Elsa was...  Not as thrilled.

How do I teach Elsa to be a gracious loser?

I was exasperated, and proud of my girls, at the same time!

I may have to sign them up to run another race!

The following weekend, I did the Dirty Dash 10K with these lovely ladies:

I tried to cover all of my bases, to ensure that it was an enjoyable experience.  And I did pretty well.
There wasn't an ounce of cotton to be found in my clothing.  And that intentional choice paid off.  My socks didn't give me blisters, and mud didn't cling to my spandex top or bottoms.
I paid $6 to have a warm shower at the end.
I opted to be the driver for the event.  Fortunately, Jody Wilkinson Acura had just sent me a coupon for a discount on having my car detailed.  So, I figured that if I got mud in my car, I could just have someone else clean it up.
For the record, there wasn't any mud in my car, after we got home.  But I still took my car in to be cleaned.

However, my choice of footwear wasn't wise.
I didn't feel like any of my three pairs of Brooks running shoes were "used" enough to warrant being ruined.
So, I wore a very old pair of Nike's I had kicking around in my closet.
Either choice wasn't going to be ideal.
I chose to go the route where my feet paid the price, rather than the shoes.  In hindsight, I should have worn a pair of Brooks.
Halfway through the race (when we started heading downhill), I could tell that my big toes were hitting the front of my shoes.   It hurt.

 

In the end, I felt like that 10K beat me up far more than any other race I've ever run.
Three of my toes were victims of runners toe. 
It's two weeks later, and one of my big toes is still black and blue.  I'm honestly surprised my toenail hasn't fallen off yet.
I also had numerous bruises and scratches.
My elbows were really scraped up, and I had to get dozens of splinters out of them.

But I'd do it again.