Running continued, Writing ends

It is hard to believe that Evan the Turtle and Mommy the Princess have been running together a whole year!

I have thoroughly enjoyed the special time with Evan and I can write with 99.9 percent assurance that Evan enjoyed it too. I have never heard him talk so much and his confidence soared.

But while it's time for this blog to end, the running will continue:

All these new running pants and shoes needs is ...

EVAN!!!

As Evan keeps reminding people about the six 5K races he has completed, he also keeps asking to do more races which is most awesome! In fact, I have already started looking for the next one to do with his aunt; another one in May with his running partner (remember Kevin?) and he and his best friend have already said they are doing the mud run again in June!

Meanwhile, some of my favorite photos:

Happy Writing!
Happy Running!

Three Makes a Crowd

Not only did three make a crowd on Saturday, December 3 but just add 3,097 more and you have the largest ever Mistletoe 5K at the 28th annual Winston-Salem race!

That's right - Evan got to run with his friend Kevin and the Princess with her "princess" Santa hat enjoyed a solo run/walk! It was a nice way to end our 5K "Run with Mom" 2011 year!

Cheerleaders: Evan's dad, Evan's little brother, Evan's aunt/mom's sister and Kevin's mom (who also took some fun photos). So, it was super cold, at freezing, and we waited and waited since there were many last-minute registrations, the race was delayed about 30 minutes.

The Princess was not happy but she kept going and finally, finally felt her toes again about halfway through the race. Evan and Kevin must have done well since they finished in just over 30 minutes. And the Princess, well, she finished in under 45 minutes!

Results are as follows:
Evan was 82nd out of 112 in the 10-14 age division with a time of 32:39. Kevin was 83rd with a time of 32:41. Mom was 129th in her age range (pre-45 years :)) out of 155 runners with a time of 44:03.

Some photos, taken by mom Lorraine:

Princess in pink hat, red coat and purple stripe pants!

Kevin in gray sweatshirt with head turned toward Evan with Santa hat, black pants.

And all of us after the race, inside the YMCA drinking and drinking!

Evan and Kevin plan to run another 5K in 2012. Meanwhile, since the race was super crowded and food was outside (it was still cold), Kevin headed to Chic-Fil-A and the Johnson clan made the long trek back to the car with a Dunkin Donut stop on the way home.

Happy Running!

Sweet Run

Wow! It's been a long time but Evan and I have completed our 5K races for 2011!

The next to last one was on Saturday, November 12 and it was the Matt Gfeller Memorial Doughnut Run - perfect for the Turtle's sweet tooth!

We signed up as casual runners which meant we had to eat between 0 to 5 doughnuts halfway through the run. Challenger runners had to eat between 6 to 12!

Our usual cheerleaders - Eric, Dad, aunt/sister and grandmother/mom - were there to see us off and greet us on that cold Saturday morning at Reynolds High School, where the late Matt Gfeller was a student.

While not pictured actually warming up, Evan really did do it. Meanwhile, Eric inspired us:

Evan decided that since he had to eat doughnuts, he would:

"Mommy, since this is our fun run, I'm going to stay with you."

Isn't that sweet? It melted my heart:

I continue to have issues with talking while running but I enjoyed listening to Evan chat about the UNC Tarheels versus Michigan game on the Navy carrier the night before (we watched it with nachos and my sister); his P.E. teacher's races; and a little more about what he was doing in school.

At Summit School, Evan had two doughnuts and water and I managed to keep one doughnut down with water while we listened to the R.J. Reynolds High School Jazz Band. It was not fun to watch those challenger runners squish six doughnuts into a sandwich to eat fast!

At the end of the race, there were, of course, more DOUGHNUTS!

Our results which included keeping the doughnut in our tummies:

Evan came in at 47:21 or 298 out of 497 casual runners. I was 302nd with a time of 47:33. 

Happy (Sweet) Running!

One Week Later

Since Evan and I have two more 5K races left this year, we try to run on a regular basis but that didn't happen this past week.

But Saturday, October 22 was just too good to pass up and since our rock garden was complete, or at least until we find more rocks, it was time for a run:

So after Gmommy left, Evan and I headed back out watching for Parade of Homes traffic in the neighborhood...

"OK, I'll try to stay with you, Mom."

NOT!

But Evan did run, only stopped one time to watch a hawk flying over him. And yes, I tried to keep up with him and most of the time, he was in within sight. So again, we enjoyed solo runs on this sunny, 63-degrees day!

Dad got our picture pre-run, always a good idea now, since Evan finishes way before me:

And our stats, well, mainly mine show:


Time: 25:05
Distance: 1.532
Steps: 3458
Calories: 103.9
Pace: 3.7


Happy Running!

27:16

Evan the Turtle rocks!

On Saturday, October 15, he finished the HAWG 5K in 27:16, his best time yet and "that was the hardest race I've done, mommy, because of those hills."

The Princess would agree - downtown Lexington, NC, has quite the hills up and back Main Street. It was chilly too, upper 50s, but pleasant in the brief sunny spots.

So while the entire world practically is stuffing their tummies full of barbecue - Lexington style - the Princess creates this post on yet another beautiful NC day.

Dad and Brother were the cheerleaders last week. This race is probably the second least crowded one that we have been done. We decided that Dad and Brother probably could have done the one-mile fun run which was held before the 5K at 8:30.

Once we got our packages, we headed back to the car for a bit to stay warm. Then Mom checked out the Port-A-John and then it was time for stretching and finding a sunny spot for our cheerleaders. We began promptly at 8:30 and within just yards, Evan was off and Mom, well, she kept going even when the police officer was collecting the orange cones toward the end of the race. Mom came in at 41:06.

The official results: Evan came in at 86 and Mom at 235 out of 263 runners. Evan's pace was 8:48 and Mom was 13:15:

Since there were no doughnuts, we stopped at the closest convenience store and got some for all of us (cheerleaders really did a good job). Once we got home, we checked out our packet which included a long sleeve t-shirt:

We shared it at our church's fish fry that evening. Still haven't had barbecue but I'm sure it is yummy today and always!

Happy Running!

Helpful Evan and Kevin

Two days before Kevin's cross country meet, he ran with Evan on Thursday, September 29 through our neighborhood.

Kevin's mom said he was nervous about the long hill at the end of our neighborhood but we all made it up without injuries and still standing. Kevin and Evan ran while his mom and I walked up.

Evan used his pedometer and it clocked 1.71 miles. Kevin was supposed to run a total of two miles since he missed cross country practice that afternoon for an orthodontist appointment but he said that time was close enough.

Before the run, Kevin taught Evan another stretch:

Well obviously Evan didn't want to pose for the camera but he is attempting to stretch his arms here. He was hungry and ready for his guitar lesson :).

So while Kevin helps Evan ... it turns out that Evan helped Kevin. We found out that weekend that Kevin improved his 5K time by two minutes thanks to Evan (and the neighborhood hill).

Happy Running!

Princess Nerves

OK, the Princess is nervous!

It is less than a week until the Turtle and I participate in our next 5K but that is not why I'm nervous. This will be our first 5K where we do not know anyone that is doing it and it is in a different city. It is the HAWG 5K for the Lexington Barbecue Festival on October 15 in downtown Lexington.

I have been to the Barbecue Festival, with my college friend Maria, in 2008:

and I saw how crowded those streets get (despite the race being the weekend before) and I know how fast Evan runs and I know how slow I run, so I have a plan!

Our photographer (Dad) said that his Walkie Talkies work up to half a mile so we might try those but since I know how fast Evan runs, I'm going to have a special meeting place at the end of the race. Really I think we will be fine but I like to plan and I know how fast Evan runs and I know how slow I run :)! As always, my goal is to finish the 5K before they close the route (I have an hour next week) and Evan's is to do better than his last 5K.

So to check my pace and release some nervousness, I hit the road late Saturday afternoon on October 8 while the boys (all three) rode their bikes. Little brother Eric is actually about my pace when he is not talking so with Evan's pedometer, I came in at:

Distance: 1.90
Steps: 4,220

And that included pulling a fussy Eric on his bike up the hill, most of the neighborhood cul-de-sacs and a few stop and starts to keep Eric in sight.

Happy Running!

Bolton Run

Since the Turtle had to go to the doctor with the Princess as his driver and we always pass by Bolton Park - we decided to stop and take advantage of the path and the awesome weather on Wednesday, October 5.

The path is actually accessible for people in wheelchairs as well as the "stretching station," which Evan wanted to do first. The path is 1,320 feet or about 0.25 mile according to the sign.


Here we are doing our own thing with Evan being silly but really stretching that leg:

And again, getting limbered up by jumping over the bars:

Then there is me, jumping over the bars:

And stretching that leg:

Then we started on the concrete path that winds around at the edge of the park. I initially said six times but ended up go eight times. Evan of course out-ran all those people there that day, most of which were walking.

We talked about our upcoming 5K (HAWG/Lexington Barbecue Festival on Oct. 15); his homework since I had to pick him up a little early from school; and I gave him ideas for my birthday in a month. Evan was hungry so I often found him "resting" on one of the benches while I walked/ran.

The change of scenery was nice but it was HOT - had to be close to 80 degrees which just seemed too hot for October. Our stats:

Time: 27:51
Distance: 1.594
Steps: 3575
Calories: 108.9
Pace: 3.4

Happy Running!

Windy October

Saturday, October 1 found the Turtle and the Princess running even with lots of wind! It really felt like the wind was pushing us down the hill in our neighborhood or stopping us from going up the hill!

Even though it was in the mid-70s degree range, the wind was rough and somewhat chilly so that is why our conversation was at a minimum and our run was short.

Here we are before the run, trying not to get chapped lips:

Our stats:
Time: 19:36
Distance: 1.168
Steps: 2615
Calories: 82.6
Pace: 3.6


Happy Running!

Cupcake Run

Goal = cupcake pick up for Gmommy's (grandmother) birthday celebration! Since I like to multi-task, I turned it into not only a cupcake pick up but also a few minutes of exercise!

So Friday evening, September 23 found us at the "cake lady's" house which was on a busy road with fast cars but we checked out a couple of side streets. The change of scenery was nice to me...

"I don't like running in another neighborhood, mommy."

"Oh really, why is that?"

"I don't know, I just like ours and the cars here are too fast."

"Well, we won't run here again because they are fast but we do have to get the cupcakes."

Since our photographer didn't come with us, we have solo pictures and appropriate for Evan whose 10th (holy cow!) birthday is Tuesday, September 27:

And the Princess in her Virginia Woolf shirt:

So our conversation centered around the different look of the houses in the area - brick versus vinyl, contemporary decor versus "older," and the fact that one house had a long pond as its backyard.

Since the road was busy, dusk was upon us and the "cake lady" had some place else to be, we ran less than 20 minutes and came back with these stats:

Time: 17:43
Distance: 0.733
Steps: 1792
Calories: 45.8
Pace: 2.5

Happy Running!

The After-Kevin Run

Apparently Mommy had a tough act to follow on Monday, Sept. 19 after Evan's run with Kevin on Sunday.

But since Evan loves his Mommy, he hung in there with me, i.e. slowed WAY down, for our brief run on this cloudy and again breezy evening. And, Evan was paying attention to Kevin, as you can see with our stretching pre-run:

And again...
"Mommy, you need to keep your arms low."

"Oh, really, why is that, Evan?"

"Well, you need to keep them about here (lowering to around the waistline) to get more oxygen."

"Hmm, that's interesting. I need all the oxygen I can get so I'm lowering. Did Kevin tell you that?"

"Well, yeah, mom."

Thankfully, I still have my ears at this point :) but Evan keeps talking and talking!

He shared details about the pioneers that settled in North Carolina - his social studies lesson - also included everything I ever wanted to know and more about Daniel Boone. He talked about the story he is writing in a new software program on his computer. It's one he started on his own since he likes writing. Not sure where he gets that trait? :)

Since rain was threatening, we headed home with Evan's pedometer showing:
Distance: 1.33
Steps: 2830

Happy Running!

It's Evan and Kevin!

As promised, the Princess has found the Turtle a "part-time" running partner! And, he is fast!

Evan and Kevin take a moment for the camera after their first run on Sunday, Sept. 18 around 4pm in the afternoon. Kevin, who is a ninth-grader, is on the cross country team at his high school so he showed Evan some stretches before and after. Ironically, the stretches were pretty similar to the ones I encourage him to do but Kevin is way cooler than Mommy, of course!

 He also introduced Evan to the path/track that he practices on at his high school. They "jogged," as Kevin described, two laps. It was a perfect day to be there - cloudy, mid-70s and even a light breeze.

I walked two laps with Kevin's mom, Lorraine. We chatted mostly about Evan and Kevin (those names sound like they were meant to be together)! Like Evan, Kevin loves the running - having improved his 5K races with every cross country meet. I think he has finished in as little as 23 minutes while Evan's last one was 30 minutes.

A couple of evenings after the run while at my Bible study group with Lorraine, she mentioned that once the boys were out of our sight - Evan talked and talked! He shared the many things he liked and talked about the races he has done! I told Lorraine I wasn't surprised since he talks my ears off too when running!

And six days after their run, Evan continues to ask me when he gets to run again with Kevin.

Meanwhile, I did keep mine and Lorraine's stats (the Turtle and his friend were too fast for me):
Time: 29:45
Distance: 1.245
Steps: 3046
Calories: 72.6
Pace: 2.5

Happy Running!

Fifteen Seconds of Fame

Actually it is a bit of a follow up to Three Kings and a Queen but I really consider it my 15 seconds of fame:

The queen really did make it through this part of the obstacle course and yes, the tiara remained on my head! The "oldest" king, well, you can see that his crown is missing in action and he eventually made it through this part so perhaps this should be his ten seconds of fame! :)

And to see more professionally-photographed cool photos, see here! Look for the two younger kings in their crowns with tie-dye shirts.

Happy Walking and Eating Healthy as a Family!

Three Kings and a Queen

Evan and I are in our ninth month of running together and have several races "under our feet," so the curiosity of his little brother continues to build...

which brings us to Saturday, Sept. 10 at 9am in Old Salem for ...

Eric's first race!!

It was the first annual Brenner FIT 1.5-mile walk. Our team name: Three Kings and a Queen:

We started off with a Zumba warm-up assisted by Bolt (the Dash Baseball Team's mascot); WXII Meteorogolist Austin Caviness and WXII Girl-Talk Host Mary Beth Brown:

Then we headed through Old Salem and the surrounding streets - passing through stations teaching us about eating healthy and living a healthy lifestyle.

My favorite was the family sitting together and talking at the dinner table while Eric's favorite was the dancing/cheerleading stations (there were real cheerleaders out there). Evan wanted to run but liked the obstacle course and I think Daddy was just happy to finish in one piece, although he seemed to enjoy the tall sunflowers in Old Salem's garden:

After the walk, there were booths set up in Salem Square with food and more exercising opportunities, such as Salem Gymnastics and Sports Center:

and the Y's sack races:

Happy Walking and Eating Healthy as a Family!