Sal's first (and Scott's second) 5k.

Post by: Scott

In the morning I decided at the last minute to invite Sal to a fun run with the idea that she would do the 3/4 mile kids run. I had wanted to do the 5k myself but since Kate couldn't come watch her and they started at the same time I figured I would just be watching. When we got there I learned that the 'kids run' was really just a turnaround for anyone in the group who had had enough after 3/8 mile. Three of my PM&R friends were there, and we all just started running, with me in 3 coats, which I peeled off sequentially and carried over one arm until my friends offered to split them up. At the turnaround I asked Sal if she wanted to turn back and she shook her head no. I thought, okay, I'm doing the run now. With Sal dictating the pace, we proceeded to pass hordes of people. At the first mile there was another chance to turn around, but Sal again declined. At 1.5 miles she started to wonder, but the turnaround was in sight, so we forged ahead.

She finally started to walk and run intermittently between miles 2 and 3. She said to me, "I don't like all these people passing us. Why are they passing us?" When I told her it was because we had slowed down, she took off with a second wind. There were penguins, a giant snow globe, and a giant Frosty.

With the finish line in sight, she got her third wind and was still very excited about the race.

 Sal was enthusiastically greeted at the finish line by my friends, which, along with their other compliments, made her feel very proud to be a runner.

On a different note, Sal also had her first dance recital, in which she was beaming from head to toe. I was beaming too as I watched her put all her five-year-old enthusiasm for life into her performance.