Living near a military base definitely has it's perks. One of those is frequent free 5ks to participate in. These are just small races organized by SemperFit to promote different causes. On Friday, they held a 5k to support awareness of sexual assault prevention and discussion. So that day, instead of our usual workout, the Stroller Warriors decided to participate. There were over 100 Marines and family members present! The SemperFit crew came out with their van and did a short warmup with the participants and handed out tons of raffle prizes to include shirts, bags, and Timex watches!
The race was scheduled to start at 11:30, so at about 11:15, I took off down the trail for a short warmup jog. After that, we did our best to gather the SWs for a photo op. The club has gotten so big, that we had to take two pictures to get everyone in:
As the coordinators indicated the start was looming, I headed to the front of the pack. Typically, stroller runners start in the back, but on that day, I didn't feel like having to weave around a bunch of people, so I took my chances at the start. I was standing next to these amazing women pushing TRIPLES, so I didn't feel too bad:
The one with the red stroller is on of our club members and she's amazing! She finished third for the women in 22:10!
The start was signaled and we took off at a good pace. I did my best to hang with Jane (the one with the red stroller). She's pushing well over 100 pounds, so as I only had the Weasel weighing in a 27.2 pounds, I decided to try my hand at picking up the pace as we headed towards our second incline (we don't have actual hills in Eastern NC). It worked and soon I was the lead female. We hit the first mile marker at just over 7 minutes and I started to worry. I don't run this fast! Instead of stressing over it, I just kept pushing the pace and trying to pass Marines. I got to the turn around and started to head back to the start. It was great motivation to see my fellow Stroller Warriors and cheer for one another!
I came across the finish line at 21:20, by far my fastest 5k with the stroller and I was thrilled! The Weasel was passed out, so I stationed her along the side of the path and cheered my fellow runners in. The 5k ended with on of our SW's husbands who suffered several serious injuries in Afghanistan about 9 months ago walking in with the assistance of a cane. It was inspiring to say the least, particularly, because doctors told him they weren't sure he would ever walk again. He's come so far in his recovery, and were were thrilled to be a part of this big day in his life!
So while I just blogged about not having time to write posts, I really wanted to recap this day! It was a good one and an inspiring one to say the least!
