I woke up on Saturday morning to the sound of heavy rain hitting the sky light in my room. That was the first indication that the weather was not necessarily going to be stellar for the Shape Up RI 5K (to benefit Girls on the Run RI) 9 am race. It wasn’t just raining—it was POURING!
I arrived at the race start at 7 am and met a few other awesome mother runners, Danielle and Pam, who were also running buddies. We waited patiently as the girls started trickling in.
To keep myself waterproof, I cut out a whole at the top of a dry cleaning bag. It actually worked pretty well! I wore pants because it was a whopping 57 degrees at the start. Cold temps combined with driving rain makes a very chilly runner—especially when you are standing around waiting for the race to start. I wish I had a picture of my race day outfit to show you, but I was afraid of taking my iPhone out of its water proof case!
I was paired up with Tania, a sixth grader who participated in Girls on the Track (for 6th to 8th graders). This was her first race and the farthest distance she had run. We started out running and then did a walk/run combo for the rest of the race. Anyone who has run a 5k in Roger Williams Park knows how hilly their courses are! I think the walk/run strategy worked really well for a lot of the girls. They were so excited to start the race that a lot of them went out too fast!
My running buddy’s father came and did the race with her too. He started out with us and continued to walk behind us, eventually catching us on the hills! I think it’s awesome that he is working up to doing 3 miles every day, so he can walk/run to work! He was so supportive of Tania and a really sweet guy.
Although the weather did not cooperate, I think the race was a total success. If the girls could show up to run in the pouring rain, they can run in any conditions! I am SO proud of all of the girls who ran the race!
Love this, Jessica! I’m impressed the girls showed up in those conditions! What a great experience for them, and for you, too.
I’ve been involved in 3 GOTR races now and they are really great experiences! I’m sure your little buddy was happy to have you out there.
They were all so cute, it made me proud to see the toe the line and finish the race! 🙂 I can’t wait to do another one!
So awesome that you did this! Glad it was fun, despite the weather!
Thanks Michelle–wish you could have done it too. You would have LOVED it! Maybe next year?
I definitely want to get involved in the organization somehow – just need to find the time!
It’s great to see that you are passing on the love for running. Wish we had something like that here!
I know, it’s too bad–the girls would love it! We will just have to give them workouts when they come here! 😉
That is such a wonderful thing. Glad you were able to give back and experience that.
Thanks! I had so much fun, despite the rain! 😉
It was a lot of fun even in the rain. It is such a gift to share your love of running with others. I think the girls felt even more of a sense of accomplishment with the huge downpours we had Saturday morning! Ran the Rhody 5 k Sunday morning and it wasn’t quite the same!
It was so nice to meet you on Saturday! Great job!!