Familiar Faces, Places, and Races

The summer children’s fun run program returns to the place where we first became acquainted with it: the track of the university from which I receive my monthly paycheck. I’m happy that it’s back here – it’s much closer to our house (and so we’re much more likely to participate week in and week out), the odds of running – pun unintended – into our university friends are much greater (see above: Olivia hanging out with her buddy Aiden before their heat), and the possibility of “home track” advantage (okay…competitive as I may be, this last item is a joke). The kids run with their age group for one lap around the outdoor track. Every kid gets a ribbon for finishing, and punch and cookies await them on their way out of the stadium.

The whole thing is incredibly well run – pun intended – and quite fun. In the first installment of what we hope are many, Olivia set the track on fire with a torrid pace – by that I mean she ran a quarter-mile at a pace that I’d find challenging to sustain for a mile – to set a personal record, proving that ribbons, sugary drinks, and cookies are incredible motivators.