As part of our annual running tradition, I registered the girls for the Too Good for Drugs Gasparilla Junior Distance Classic.  Due to her ripe old age of ten, this would be Allana’s last year to run the kids’ race.

For Allana’s age group she had to run 1 mile (four times around the University of Tampa track).  Last year, Allana was nervous to run the track, but this year she exuded confidence.

She paced herself nicely and thanks to her pink bandana, she was easy to spot.  She’s a stunner (stylish runner) in the making for sure.

And my little stunner wore her hot pink bandana and confidence all the way to the finish.

Unfortunately, Emmalynn didn’t quite have the same experience.

Due to a poor PA system, we didn’t hear the all call for the 6 year old start.  She missed her race (1/8 mile) and she had to run with 7 year olds (1/2 mile), although it didn’t bother her because she could run with her friend, Lily.

Emmalynn, like Allana, started with a lot of confidence but with a little too much speed.  About half way into her race, she got a cramp in her side.

But poor Emmalynn just couldn’t run and walked the remainder of the way.  The pain was too intense for her.

Allana tried to encourage her to keep going by running with Emmalynn for part of the way.

My poor baby learned an important running lesson that day.  Sometimes you have good races and sometimes you have bad races.  Just never give up and you’re always a winner.

But like The Penguin always says, “The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.”