It's Unanimous....The Best 5K We've Ever Run

Color Runs are great, sure.  A trail race is a blast, absolutely.  But how cool was it to run this 4th of 5 5Ks for our Remembering Zachary Project??!!.  10 Races for 10 Years has been SUCH an experience.

Last night, we ran the Snowman Stampede, a 5K race through the Bull Run Park's Festival of Lights.  The race began at 5:10, obviously just at dark, and this is a little of what we were able to see the entire course - it's blurry but taken while running, so I hope you understand.  :)

Rewind, before the start, we met up with two Herklotz Clans.  Aidan and Carter's Grandparents, Lynn and Bob and the boys' Aunts and Uncles and cousins, Chad, Jennie, Addison and Collin.  They all walked/ran the Mile Reindeer Run while the boys and I ran the 5K.  I hope they enjoyed themselves, they did look pretty goofy...er, merry.

Carter felt running for Zachary that night.  He was able to run a Personal Best himself with a 29:59 finish time.  He crossed the finish line feeling so proud of himself, a feeling he will hopefully be able to carry with him through other pieces of his life.  Aidan ran the entire race as well without stopping, a strong accomplishment considering the two hard hours at the gym he had spent just that morning.  After the race we spent time at the Holiday Village at Bull Run, played some fair games, had some hot cocoa, and ran into some pretty amazing running friends we've met along the way.  

I wouldn't change these experiences for the WORLD.  Our last 5K race for Zachary will be in March.  We would LOVE to be able to share this experience with even more friends and family and community.  Look out for a TON of updates, prizes and more, we want everyone involved!!!

Oh, and, yes, we had a picture taken of the three of us....by Santa...well, a racer dressed up as Santa.

Running for Zachary Continues! Virginia Run Turkey Trot with My Little Turkeys

This Holiday Season I'm truly thankful for many things.  The same things for which I'm thankful are the same things that keep me too busy to blog in a timely fashion....I'm faulted, I'll admit it.

But I'm catching up now and that's what matters.  :)

Aidan, Carter and I have run not one, but TWO 5k races since I last blogged.  Both unique, fantastic experiences we were lucky enough to share with family and friends.  This blog is about our 3rd of 5 5K Races we are Running for Zachary's 10th Birthday Celebration.  Our 4th was run last night...more on that to come.

Thanksgiving Day - Aidan and I arrived at the Virginia Run Turkey Trot site where we volunteered to help with the race set-up at 6:00 a.m.  It was a balmy 25 degrees that morning.  Aidan woke up at 5:30, much earlier than most kids his age would wake up on a day off from school.  We volunteered until very close to the race start and then then kid went out and ran a 3 mile race.  He is the best.

After volunteering, we met up with Zachary's Mom, Chrissy, and her daughter Kenzy...Aidan and Kenz have been friends since before birth and still are.

I ran the race with her and the boys followed behind.   It was a cold day, but Kenz was on FIRE.  She was determined to push herself, a quality that is so important for a young person to know and understand and EXPERIENCE.  This is one of the major focuses of what I want to accomplish with our Remembering Zachary adventure, for kids to be healthy and strong and to understand they can always do MORE than what they think they can.  I told her Zachary would have been so proud of what she was able to accomplish.  We crossed the finish line together in 30:50.  A personal best for her.  Her Mom texted me this beautiful letter she wrote when they got home.  What an amazing Mom.  I would be proud to share many more races with Kenz in the future.