Race For A Soldier 2015 Recap

     I haven't written for a awhile. This is mainly due to 2 reasons: the crazy amount of stress being in my last semester of graduate school and a lingering cold. The last month basically has been write, write, write, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep...zzzzzzzzzzz
 
     Despite all this, I had a ton of fun at the Race For a Soldier last weekend in Gig Harbor, WA.

     Overall, the race was very well organized. I was not expecting this because it was in my hometown, and I anticipated that it would just be a small-town race. I was definitely impressed. There were people cheering for runners every few blocks. There were signs and flags galore. It was cool to see so much community support, especially because the event was to support veterans returning from service.

Our running group: Craig, me, my dad, and brother, Daniel

          It was my brother, Daniel's first race. He ran in the 5k and finished in 23:13, which placed him at first for his age group! I was super proud and impressed that he could run so fast, especially because he went and ate at the Puyallup fair the night before haha. 

Daniel finishing strong in the 5K

     It was also Craig's first 5K. Seeing him running makes me so happy! We ran all summer together. It definitely payed off as he finished in 28:09!

Craig: the cutest 5K runner on the roads

     My dad is a seasoned runner. He ran in a half marathon last winter but since he has lost about 30 pounds. This time around, he finished the 13.1 miles in 2:08:25. Over a 30 minute improvement from last year's race! I'm in constant awe of his resilience.

My Dad (to the left) flew passed me and finished in an amazing time.

     I also ran in the half marathon. I struggled quite a bit. The cold morning air gave me chest pain, I had a soar throat and even a bit of asthma. I still had a good time though haha. I think because of these struggles I did not pressure myself to finish quickly. 

     Here are my splits:

    My first few miles were pretty strong, but as soon as I began to gain elevation, I lost steam, and slowed down substantially. As I began to get chest pain, I decided to take it slow, enjoy the music I was listening to, snack on the treats being handed out at the aide stations, and just have a nice morning. 

     This technique worked for the most part, but I was definitely ready to be finished at mile 13!

Me finishing the half-marathon. It was a tough run but well worth it.

     I would say it was an extremely successful weekend for my family and for the event.
Here is an article if you would like to learn more about the cause. Here is a link to the event's homepage.
 
    I would like to give a special thanks to Ruth Devine and Katie Foster (her blog Runs for Cookies is one I've followed for awhile, & you should check it out!) for their generous donations. All proceeds from this race went to charities which support alternative therapies for PTSD.