Training in Montana

I ran the Big Sky State Games 5K with my two youngest boys, 11 and 8. I didn't register as I'm doing the 10K tomorrow and I wanted to run with my boys. I thought I'd be running with my 8 yr old but my 11 yr old really struggled tonight so before the 1/2 way point I told the youngest to run ahead and I'd catch up to him. Not long after that those plans were scuttled as the 11 yo said he thought he might barf. Uh oh. Guess I can't leave a puking kid on the race course so I stuck with him. He was frustrating though. He gets down on himself easily and you see it all over his face and he doesn't handle pain very well. Everytime I'd try to give him a pep talk "You're tough, you're strong - use a mantra and say it to yourself" he'd actually do worse. Awesome. With about a mile to go I gave up talking to him as I didn't want to say something I'd regret and I realized it wasn't helping him and I just ran, about 5 yds ahead of him pulling him along. With 0.25 to go he yelled out "Dad!" and I looked back and he was stopped. I told him it wasn't very far at all to go now and that he could run the rest of the way and he did. When we got to the stadium (the race was the beginning of the opening ceremonies, with Olga Korbut as our MC) they called his name on the loudspeaker and I bowed out to let him run the 2/3 lap by himself. I'm proud of him for finishing, but he's down on himself for not doing better. I'll work on that one. He was promise as a runner. His younger brother rocked it! His goal was to finish in 30:00 and before I ditched him I had him on a 10:00 pace or quicker. He finished the last 1/2 all by himself and did it in 30:03! Great job wee one (he's tiny). He missed out on an age group medal by 2 seconds, but I think the kid must've started at the front as my son never saw him ahead of him. Bummer, but also exciting. He's got fantastic promise and now wants to do a 10K. "I wasn't even tired - I could've kept running" he said. Great kid, always positive.