Girls on the Run - Jingle Bell 5K

Kishayla was my running buddy for the Girls on the Run 5K this past Sunday. The girls were all in 3rd through 5th grade and this would be the farthest they will have run. They spent the whole semester working on a myriad of physical and mental exercises. At the start they were excited about a lot of things and it is partly this excitement that I think helped to plant that seed. They were all going through their swag and eating gels and drinking red bull. This was going to be fun. We made our way to the start and Kishayla was ready. Right after they said we could go she took off in a wild sprint weaving through people. I was barely able to keep up and knew I wouldn't be able to sustain the speed she was going for too long. I also knew she would poop out at about 100 yards. And that is exactly what happened. "I'm all out of breath." She told me. "Well you are going to have to pace yourself. There is a lot farther to go." I tell her. "How much farther?" She looks at me with big brown eyes. "Basically, the same amount as twelve times around a track." I could tell she still wasn't getting it, but I knew we could make it fun. We continued the sprint-walk and discussing how much farther, and she would look back to see where her friends were and we'd skip, but what mattered the most was that she was having fun and enjoying a new experience. I'm pretty sure she was. Kishayla finished and with a huge grin and then made a bee line for the cupcake table.