Final Mile

My 6 year olds are running the Shamrock Final Mile in March.  It's basically a marathon, one mile at a time.  Of course, my poor children have a mom who is a distance runner, so we don't roll one mile at a time.  We also don't cheat the miles....you don't get 25 miles before race day, you don't race.  We also have to get all 25 miles done two weeks early because one of the boys has to have surgery at the end of the month.  We are getting there...but weekday runs are hard.

The gym teacher at the boys' school has offered a Final Mile Club to help the kiddos get their miles in.  Of course, the first two meetings got snowed out, so today was the first time the boys could stay after school to get some miles in.  The best part is that parents are welcome to join the kids for the runs.  

It was COLD and windy and misty today.  The gym teacher made the great call to hold the club in the gym.  There were about 40 kids in the gym.  They had the option to run or walk around the track in the gym or they could jump rope in the middle.  She would put on music to get them to run faster and then turn it off to slow them down.

This afternoon was the tale of two children.

Child 1 would run a lap and then get the jump rope and then got get some water and then go out the open door to the cooler outside (because he was "hot"...but really, because everyone else was doing it.)  And then he would get the jump rope, and then some water....you get the idea.

Child 2 walked around the track.  For 45 minutes.  He refused to run, but he refused to stop.  

I ran when Child 1 ran, but mostly I walked with Child 2.  We talked.  He held my hand.  We had a great afternoon together.  Their time at Final Mile Club counted for 2 miles.  

Child 1 is up to 10 miles....15 to go.

Child 2 has 13 miles....12 to go...and I hope he runs just a little bit at the Final Mile.

(In case you were wondering....Child 1 refused to go on a 3 mile walk with us).