Rancourt's Run 5k for Special Olympics

We ran our first race with Amber this morning.  She loved it!  A big crowd full of 'friends that she hasn't met yet' was so exciting, and then actually getting to run with all of them?!  Well, "Hang on, Mom!  We've got to catch those guys up front!!"  I've never run so fast in my life, trying to keep up with her for that first mile...

Our youngest daughter was running with us and she couldn't believe the pace.  Unfortunately, she developed a stitch in her side, so needed to walk for a while.  Amber and I slowed down to keep her company.  Once she felt better, she took Amber from me and ran ahead...I caught up with her sister, who was walking because she had 3 stitches under her ribs and in her belly!  Ouch.  I didn't mind walking with her at all, because that meant I could take my phone out of my armband and snap photos of our family running past us at the turnaround point.

One of the reasons that we were looking forward to this race was it was going to be the first time that big brother would compete against our very athletic, competitive neighbor.  He rides miles and miles on his bike and competes in those race, not often in running races.  But, when he does run, he's fast.  So, we were all anxious to see how they would fare...and here they are leading the race, even after missing the turnaround point, and pushing to get back in front of the pack!  The guys that had stolen the lead from them were laughing as they watched them push really hard to get by them again...

About a dozen runners later we spotted her running along behind the eventual female winner.  She told her father later, "You told me to kick butt.  So I did!"  Gotta love that confidence.

Leading Amber had given her quite a boost and she had opened up a long lead in front of us, but she was all done once Amber saw me...she just had to go to Mom!  So, the sisters traded and another girl took off running with the dog...