Part 1: The "practice" 5k at Gabrielle Park
This is my running buddy, Ella! She's a local 5th grade student who wanted to run a 5k. So her mom signed her up for
Girls On The Run. The girls met weekly with their assigned coaches. Not only did they train for a 5k, but they also built up their self esteem & respect through activities specifically designed to enhance their physical, social, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. (Kind of like Girl Scouts....but with running involved.) I was her buddy for the practice race & the actual 5k event. Here we are, meeting for the first time, at the practice 5k.
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| Aren't we too adorable for WORDS??? |
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| Brrrr...a chilly training run with hundreds of little girls. |
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| We're running! |
Part 2: Race Day at Portland's Starlight Parade 5k
A few days after the practice 5k, Ella fell off her bike & broke her arm. I was afraid she wouldn't be able to continue her training, but she somehow made it through. Before I knew it, June 2nd was here. That meant it was showtime for those of us running the Starlight 5k! We met up before the race, and I painted Ella's face (per her request). A star on each cheek, her dot lettered name on the old forehead, and a curly mustache...and she was good to go.
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| A quick pre-race shot. The name on her forehead was a brilliant idea on my part. People in the crowd were cheering her on by name thanks to my awesome face paint/dot lettering skilz. :) |
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| Ella wanted a star on each cheek & a curly mustache. |
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| Group shot. |
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| We saw friends while running the 5k! (Hi Stephanie!) |
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| The finish line |
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| One VERY proud girl showing off her new bling! |
Together, we ran this race. Despite Ella having major side stitches from the half mile mark to the end, loads of walking vs. the running she really would have liked to accomplish, a collision with my hand and her broken/casted arm - which made her entire arm throb like mad, and a lack of water, Ella made it across the finish line with a smile on her face!
Girls On The Run...
is so much fun!
[PS...thanks to those who snapped these pictures along the way. You earned a couple of extra feathers on your angel wings for doing so.]
That is so cool! I have a friend who came to see me at the finish line of my marathon. Now she's signed up for a 5K and I'm going to run it with her. We live 200 miles apart, so we won't be able to train together, but I'm excited to see someone else jump on the running bandwagon!
ReplyDeleteLOVE!!! Thank you for being there for Ella. I will send you the pic you are looking for... ;-)
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ReplyDeleteThis is something I would LOVE to get involved with. Good for you! My running buddy and I do run with her two sons, who are 10 and 8 years old, and just finished their first 5K last month. It's a great thing to see their face light up when they cross the finish line.
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