Five kilometers is a long way to run.
Portland Parks and Recreation runs a series of 5k races every summer. They cost $5 per adult entrant, and kids under 18 run for free. So we paid $5 (months ago, as the races fill up very fast) for Cook and Duchess to run the 5k together, and Skipper to run the 1k Kids Fun Run. (I cheered. I also ran the 1k as support.) The kids had never been to a race, and had no idea what it would be like.
Skipper was not enthused about running the race, which was not surprising. As always with new activities, we encouraged her to run, and acted casually as though we expected her to, but said that it was totally fine if she didn't. She lined up at the start, standing in a silent unhappy hunch. When it started, she started running, and also immediately started crying, her face a mask of misery. I ran alongside her, and I kept telling her she could stop, or walk, or hold my hand, or whatever she needed. Being Skipper, she angrily rejected all my offers, and pushed me away when I reached for her hand. She cried the whole kilometer (making me look like some kind of monstrous pushy parent, forcing her unhappy child to run), but she ran the hell out of it.
She got a participant ribbon that she did not want to pose with.
This is the finish. At that point, Duchess looked about as happy as Skipper had.
Cook beat her.
Everybody was pleased in the end. Duchess has big plans to win her age group next year.
Skipper was not enthused about running the race, which was not surprising. As always with new activities, we encouraged her to run, and acted casually as though we expected her to, but said that it was totally fine if she didn't. She lined up at the start, standing in a silent unhappy hunch. When it started, she started running, and also immediately started crying, her face a mask of misery. I ran alongside her, and I kept telling her she could stop, or walk, or hold my hand, or whatever she needed. Being Skipper, she angrily rejected all my offers, and pushed me away when I reached for her hand. She cried the whole kilometer (making me look like some kind of monstrous pushy parent, forcing her unhappy child to run), but she ran the hell out of it.
She got a participant ribbon that she did not want to pose with.
Cook and Duchess lined up for their race.
This is close to the end of the first lap (of three).
This is the finish. At that point, Duchess looked about as happy as Skipper had.
Cook beat her.
Everybody was pleased in the end. Duchess has big plans to win her age group next year.
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