Rookie Run

One week after the Mini I had a sense of déjà vu as once again my best friend and running partner headed downtown on a Saturday morning. The only difference is that this time we had the world's cutest four year old in tow and instead of me being dressed in running gear, Shalom was.

Kids are so impressionable and for months Shalom has been watching her mom train for the Mini. It was only natural that Shalom decided she wanted to be like her momma and run, too. Kristal came across the Rookie Run and registered Shalom for her first ever run.

The Rookie Run was held on May 10th and is for ages 3 - 12. Kids are given a wave time based on their age.

We drove downtown and it was pretty busy since her wave time was later in the morning. We parked in the mall parking and started walking towards Monument Circle. Shalom wanted to rest for her race so she begged to be carried. This Auntie of hers loves to hold her and rarely gets the opportunity to do it as often as I want so of course I picked her up and carried her so she could be ready to go.

We got to her corral and like the Mini, people were holding signs to help get the children in the right corral. It is funny because as we waited you could tell Shalom was getting more and more anxious about the race. We kept telling her how much fun it was going to be and that she would do great! It is ironic because I remember feeling so nervous about the Mini myself. I actually got to witness someone else's race day jitters.

It was time for Shalom's group to line up. Shalom held onto her momma as long as she could, but then she bravely let go.

She followed the volunteers to the starting line and waited for her time to start.

The announcer said, "On your mark. Get set. Go!" And none of the kids moved. Finally with the urging of the 500 princesses that were volunteering and the crowd of spectators and supporters yelling at them to go, one brave four year old took off. That was all that was needed because they all followed suit.

We cheered and clapped and yelled, "Go, Shomie, Go!"

Here are some action shots of her big race:

I loved that she had a bib that had the number 1 on it. When she was done, she was given a medal, a bottle of water, a fruit cup, and some applesauce. It was adorable!

Shalom was thrilled she completed her race. I was so proud of her and loved being there to cheer her on! I am looking forward to cheering her on at more races, games, recitals...whatever this beautiful child decides to do!