Tampa Bay for Boston

After watching the Boston bombing events unfold, Chris Lauber, a local race director known for his well orchestrated Florida Road Races, decided to “do what he does best”. On May 8^th, only three weeks after the Boston marathon, he organized a 2.62 mile run at St. Pete Pier to honor the lives lost, the injured and the athletes.

Only Lauber and his wonderful team could make a last-minute run look effortless. To keep costs to a minimum while donating as much of the $26.20 race fees to One Fund Boston, the run lacked the usual amenities we’ve come accustomed to at many of Florida Road Races, mostly the food and the beer.

Chris Lauber

Each participant received a t-shirt and a LED candle for the pre-race candlelight vigil.

Several of my Suncoast Strider friends were there to show support for Boston and our love for our own Boston Marathoner, Marcia.

Prior to the memorial run, Heather, Suzan and I made silly marathon remarks about hitting a wall around 2.5 miles. As the evening progressed with little water and food in our stomachs, we would fail to see the humor in those jokes.

In the pre-run presentation emceed by Serina Fazan of ABC Action News, race directors and runner after runner shared their Boston Marathon memories of that fateful day.

Serina Fazan, ABC Action News

Lynn Gray, Tampa Bay Race Director Committee

Susan Harmeling, Executive Director Gasparilla Distance Classic

Some athletes finished under 3 hours while others never saw the finish line. Some ran for their first time and a few speakers had several Boston marathons under their fuel belts.

Except for Marcia who joked about not liking the race, each runner all shared their love for Boston, a dedication to return and why it’s more than a marathon over a century old that separates elite athletes from your average runners. Boston is a marathon experience like none other and as I listened to runner share their stories, I longed to be part of it.

Visually impaired Boston Marathoner and her guide

With each account, the theme of the evening was evident. Runners are strong and we will always band together for a cause to do what we do best. “Run and move forward.”

Assistant Race Director, Boston Athletic Association

David Green

As we stood for two hours, the twinge in our backs and legs tested that strength and reminded us to be Boston Strong. As our legs and back began to ache, we heard one last account told by David Green, a marathoner who finished the race and snapped a photo just after the second bombing, which helped identify the second suspect. His heroic act and bravery made us proud to be Americans and runners.

After singing the National Anthem, we left St. Pier with our candles still glowing and ran towards the Vinoy Hotel. The turn-around point was just past Vinoy Park.

Elizabeth Holloway sang Amazing Grace and the National Anthem.

The long evening took a toll on me and I had to walk more than I would like for a less than 3 mile run. The lack of water also caused me to experience side stitches. But this run wasn’t about time, conditions or a PR. It was about being part of something bigger than myself and to show my support for Boston and those who were there.

I was proud to be part of Tampa Bay for Boston and next year, I hope to be able to give more by volunteering at the Boston Marathon 2014.

Adios, my ABEO Sandals

What’s black, white and red all over?

My feet painted with tan lines from my favorite flip-flops.

Last spring, The Walking Company sent me a pair of Red Reptile Sunrise ABEO B.IO. System Sandals and I wore them all the time. The sandals complimented my casual Florida style, all my favorite sundresses and oodles of outfits and of course, I received incalculable amounts of compliments every time I stepped out in them.

Since these shoes are specifically designed for plantar fasciitis, I literally lived in these lovely, sunny sandals. I walked everywhere in them, which made my feet very happy and my plantar fasciitis heels never complained.

My ABEO Red Reptile Sunrise Sandals escorted me to numerous parties and we danced the night away on more than one occasion.

I covered countless miles of amusement parks in them.

I explored the streets of New York City in these sandals.

Sadly, a year later, there’s little life left in them now. My once super cushioned sandals now offer little support anymore.

So it seems the sunrise has set on my red reptile ABEO sandals.

We had a good run, my ABEO sandals and me.

{Girl Scouts} Run the World – Run 4 Respect

On Saturday, Allana’s Girl Scout Troop hosted an anti-bullying 5K fun run, “Run 4 Respect” to earn their Bronze Award. Advertised and publicized solely by word of mouth, the inaugural event had 125 registered runners.

Over the past few months, the girls planned every aspect of the event: the route, the signage, their shirts, awards, finisher ribbons, refreshments and entertainment.

For the entertainment, there was a DJ, a bouncy castle, a face painter and a volunteer to make balloon animals, a first for any race I’ve attended!

Allana selected me to serve as a cheerleader along the course and I wore my green tutu just for the occasion. I thought the color coordinated nicely with the Girl Scout’s t-shirts, but the color would also keep the runner’s spirits bright.

The troop invited Mrs. Universe, Kelly Lightburn, to emcee, present awards and speak to the crowd after the race about standing up to bullies and the importance of self-confidence.

The inaugural event was a huge success and it was evident the Girl Scouts worked very hard on their Run 4 Respect Fun Run from start to finish.

For Music Mondays, I’m now teaming up with my good friend and fellow Marathon Mama, Chrissy.

Visit Xmas Dolly and Jade Louise Designs for more Music Monday.

Random Thoughts about Stroller Strides, Being Boston Strong and Track Tuesday

My husband’s American Airlines flight was canceled due to some IT difficulties and he was unable to book another because everyone was trying to do the same, which limited the number of available flights. While still on edge from the Boston marathon bombing, I was so relieved to have him home.

Between FCAT, my youngest daughter behaving poorly at school and my husband’s traveling, the past few weeks have been so stressful and I so glad to have it all behind us now. Throw the Boston bombings on top and I felt so riddled with anxiety, which only a good night sleep or a good run could fix.

Since I knew I would be running with my kids’ running club and also participating in a trial Stroller Strides class with my moms group, I decided to sleep in on Wednesday morning. It seemed that the stress was draining me and I needed the rest.

The Stroller Strides class led by Regina, a sweet little pregnant instructor, was fun. Even Liam enjoyed it! I wasn’t sure how he would do sitting in a stroller watching Mommy work-out, but he seemed to like it or perhaps he liked making faces at me. I enjoyed soaking in the sun while exercising.

We met at the trail and after an introductions and a warm-up, we did a short jog. We stopped between runs for intervals, like lunges and squats singing toddler songs like “The Ants Go Marching” or bandwork singing ABC’s or “Hurry, Hurry! Drive the Fire Truck!” (Liam’s favorite) I appreciated all the strengthening exercises, but I thought they were a bit easy. Or at least I thought they were a bit easy until the next day. Man, my legs were sore for two days. I guess I could use a bit more toddler song lunges. Expect a vlog post about that soon!

Later that afternoon, I ran a couple miles with my girls at running club. It was crazy hot, but I encouraged the kids to keep running Boston Strong.

Thursday, I ran 6 miles. I tried to do a tempo run but my PF heels couldn’t handle it or maybe my heart wasn’t it to it, because I still had Boston on the brain. Whatever was going on in my brain (Boston bombings and bad behavior) had me deep in thought, however, that concentration quickly broke when a poodle came charging at me. I jumped back into a body combat stance and nearly kicked the mutt in the head. The flat of my foot was inches away from that poor pooch’s snout before he whimpered off back to his house and all I could think was “Chamber your knee!” But it’s like I always say, all dogs look like Cujo when they come charging at you and a kickboxing Kung Fu kick is literally my knee-jerk reaction.

6 miles
Time 1:02:19
Ave Pace 10:03
Max Pace 7:52

Saturday and Sunday, I slept in. Again, I just wasn’t on my game. But Monday, I needed to shake off whatever funk I was feeling and get my head back into running along with the rest of the country. All across the nation, runners met to run #BostonStrong and Fitniche Running Stores hosted our local #BostonStrongTampa. Proudly wearing blue and yellow (Boston colors), my girls and I joined the run at the Shops of Wiregrass location along with over 400 other runners. It was truly a tear-jerking sight.

*Photo credit to Fitniche*

We ran along the main boulevard of the mall and exited out onto a road for the long mile stretch. I let my girls set the pace along the 3.1 mile course but encouraged them to stay with it.

My girls wanted to walk more than I would have liked to, but I was just so proud of them for even wanting to be part of this moment. It was so wonderful to see runners of all abilities out there showing love for Boston.

I even saw a few Striders (Kim, Rachel and Christina) out there. I loved bumping into them during the run. Of course, they passed me and my junior running group.

At the mile and a half point, we stopped for water provided by Fitniche and the girls ran the second half even stronger. Once we reached the entrance to the mall, I told them they had to run back to the running store without stopping, which they did.

Surprisingly, Emmalynn snuck a sprint in the last tenth of mile (just like her mama). When we reached the finish line she said, “I finished STRONG, mama!”

“You mean you finished BOSTON STRONG!” It was a true proud mama moment.

3.2 miles
Time 47:56
Ave Pace 15:05
Max Pace 7:17 (Emmalynn’s sprint)

This morning, I ran sprints. Funny thing with my speedwork, I’m not showing any progress. I think it may be time to bump it up to 6 x 400 sprints and to push myself a bit more.

1 mile warm up
Time 9:57

Lap 1 – 0.25 mile
Time 1:55
Ave Pace 7:44

Lap 2 – 0.25 mile
Time 1:55
Ave Pace 7:44

Lap 3 – 0.25 mile
Time 1:54
Ave Pace 7:34

Lap 4 – 0.25 mile
Time 1:52
Ave Pace 7:34

1.1 mile cool down
Time 10:36
Ave Pace 9:41

Total Time 28:13
Total Distance 3.1
Ave Pace 9:07

Is Boston on your brain these days or are you staying Boston Strong?

*Also linking up at*

Donate a Photo App and Giveaway

This post on making a difference in the world through your own photography is brought to you by Johnson & Johnson and The Motherhood, who sent me a box of products and compensated me for my time. Opinions, experiences and photos shared here are all my own, and I hope you enjoy them.

I found a wonderful way to help charities worldwide by simply sharing a photo, which is something each of us does on a regular basis anyway.

For every photo uploaded and shared through Donate a Photo, Johnson & Johnson will donate one dollar to one of its non-profit partners***. Together you and Johnson & Johnson can support a new cause every day.

Presently, the Donate a Photo app (which is FREE and available for the iOS and Andriod platforms) has three charitable partners to choose from:

Safe Kids: One photo helps protect a child from a sports injury
Keep America Beautiful: One photo helps restore a public park
Save the Children: One photo helps a newborn get medicine to thrive.

When a cause reaches its goal, another takes its place; the causes that have reached their goal will still appear in the app, so users can continue to learn more about the organizations and see the photos that helped support them.

Donating is simple: Just visit healthyessentials.com/our-caring to download the free Donate a Photo app and register to get started, then choose a cause, upload a photo and share it on Facebook and Twitter to show the actions and impact to friends and followers and encourage them to get involved in helping the causes, too.

Here is an excellent video that visually explains how to use the Donate a Photo app and how simple it is to use.

While all donations must be made through a mobile device, the experience (including a photo gallery and progress achieved for each charity) will be accessible to anyone, on any device, from mobile phones to tablets to desktop computers.

Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies has been committed to caring for the community for more than 125 years; with the Healthy Essentials™ and Donate a Photo initiatives, the Company reinforces this commitment by offering savings to families and helping those in need.

To demonstrate this commitment, Johnson & Johnson wants to help you save. Head over to HealthyEssentials.com and register to save on J&J products and find coupons for Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies’ brand portfolio, including NEUTROGENA®, BAND-AID® Brand, LISTERINE®, AVEENO®, NEOSPORIN®, VISINE® and others.

To encourage you join the Donate a Photo App cause, Johnson & Johnson want to give one Run DMT reader an assortment of Johnson & Johnson products valued at approximately $100.

Enter below for your chance to win. One winner will be randomly selected on Tuesday, April 23 12:00 a.m. EST.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway disclaimer: No purchase necessary. Open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and District of Columbia, Eighteen (18) years of age or older. Sweepstakes end May 20, 2013. Prize(s) provided by Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products Company Division of Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc. Void where prohibited.

**Johnson & Johnson has curated a list of trusted causes, and you can donate a photo to one cause, once a day. Each cause will appear in the app until it reaches its goal, or the donation period ends. If the goal isn’t reached, the cause will still get a minimum donation.

Perfect Easter Pictures

These are a few of my favorite photos from Easter.

My camera isn’t fast enough to capture the front of a speedy toddler.

I love this photo us.

I asked a random stranger at church to take a picture of us. I need to find that gentleman at church again to ~~hug~~ thank him and find out his secrets for picture taking. Seriously, do you know difficult it is to snap a decent photo of my family with everyone looking in the general direction of the camera and somewhat smiling? It’s perfect.

I hope your Easter had some picture perfect moments too.

Purple Day 5K

When planning our Purple Day 5K event, I wanted to emphasize the phrase “fun run”. Many people are intimidated by runs because they think they’re too slow or they walk too much or they can’t run at all. To maximize participation among our friends, the Purple Day 5K was designed to be stroller friendly, kid friendly, walker friendly and even dog friendly.

Despite a frigid (by Florida standards) 48 degrees, we had a great turnout for a last minute fun run.

Plus, I bribed everyone to join us with purple cupcakes and other purple treats.

For the 5K, we ran along a 1.5 half route along a boulevard in our neighborhood and then turned around for a return 1.5 trip to the back to the community park.

“Mom, we’re beating you!” my oldest daughter, Allana, hollered out.

“We’re supposed to beating epilepsy, not each other!” I shouted back.

My SIL, Kirsten (an epilpesy advocate), worked as our race photographer and distributed first aid seizure cards and pamphlets to “talk about it”.

The purpose behind this Purple Day event was to educate and show support for epilepsy awareness, because someone we love needs a cure. There are approximately 65 million people around the world living with epilepsy. My niece, Meghan is one of them.

The response to our last-minute Purple Day 5K was truly overwhelming. We had people all over the world wearing purple, running and sharing photos. Thank you to everyone who supported our cause!

“Respect the purple!” – Allana, our own Cassidy Megan lookalike.

Cassidy Megan created the idea of Purple Day in 2008, motivated by her own struggles with epilepsy. Cassidy’s goal is to get people talking about epilepsy in an effort to dispel myths and inform those with seizures that they are not alone. The Epilepsy Association of Nova Scotia came on board in 2008 to help develop Cassidy’s idea which is now known as the Purple Day for epilepsy campaign. - Purple Day

To learn more about Purple Day and how you can help educate others about epilepsy, visit purpleday.org.

Sarasota Half Marathon {Recap}

Just to let you know, the Sarasota Half Marathon was never part of my race plan. Many of friends were running it and I wanted to be part of it but couldn’t afford another race in my already overfilled race budget. Once I saw the medal, I really wanted to do it.

As fate would have it, my friend, Marie, couldn’t run the half marathon for personal reasons. Marie offered up her bib and I pounced on it, before realizing, my family and I were planning to visit with Thomas the Tank Engine later that day in Parrish. See, not part of the original plan. But this mom on the run found a way to make it all fit! And of course, I would wear green for a half marathon that falls on St. Patrick’s Day!

Thankfully, Chrissy’s sister, Angie, lives in Parrish which is about 40 minutes from the race start and she offered her house as a place to crash. We headed down Saturday afternoon to pick up our packets and join the Suncoast Striders for dinner. (That’s where Chrissy and I discovered Trader Joe’s next door which is a whole other blog post!)

*Photo by David of the Suncoast Striders*

To review thus far, I had a free place to stay and a free race entry, but paid for it by spending a small fortune at Trader Joe’s, overpriced pasta at Café Cocci, then staying up late drinking and laughing with Angie (Chrissy’s sister), her husband, Tony and their friends.

In a few short hours, 5:00 a.m. came fast, but thankfully I slept like a rock. We ate breakfast in the car on our way to the Sarasota Half Marathon.

We arrived with plenty of time to head to the start with temps were around 57 degrees which is perfect for running, but Chrissy and I opted to stay in the car a little longer ~~and steam up windows~~. It was toasty warm in there. We would regret the decision later as we missed our bathroom break before race moment.

At the start we bumped in a few Strider friends, wished everyone a great race and of course posed for a few photos. Everyone piled into the corral and the gun sounded off quickly after that. We were all on our first leg of the course headed towards that horrid bridge, the Sarasota causeway.

Chrissy and I had a good mile warm-up run through the streets of Sarasota before reaching the John Ringling Causeway. At mile two, we began the incline, but incline can’t describe this “hill”. This slope dwarfs the Clearwater Causeway or the Sand Key Bridge. This bridge did not feel normal despite what the sign said.

Once over the top we began our decline, but not really. We discovered another small bridge on the other side. Curse you bridges!

Past the Mama Bridge and her baby bridge, we followed a roundabout through a town center. Somehow, I spotted Ben and Jerry’s there. My Chubby Hubby ice cream fantasy was soon interrupted once I realized we were heading back over the bridges. I was a grumpy old troll running over the bridge.

On the return trip over the bridge, I walked a bit more, especially once I saw the sunrise over downtown Sarasota. I embraced the sunrise with a walking break to snap a few photos.

Back over the big bad mama bridge, I spotted a remote-control hovercraft taking photos. Once over the top of Mama Bridge we began our decline into downtown.

At the bottom, we kissed adieu to the bridges as we began our journey north along the Tamiami Trail. But first, we had to pop into a port-o-let which added about 5 minutes onto time, but we were desperate since we didn’t go before the race.

For the next couple of miles, Chrissy took the opportunity to hone her self-portrait skills. As our always designated self-portrait picture taker, she decided to challenge herself by taking self-portraits while running. Chrissy must have taken a dozen or so and we laughed over outtakes, the ridiculous angles and expressions on our faces.

Ironically, at mile 8 we passed a Super 8 Motel. Around this point, Chrissy began having trouble with her hamstrings and Chrissy never has trouble. I’m usually the one with some pain or issue. The pain forced her to stop and stretch, which is something she never does.

I stayed with Chrissy because I wasn’t really trying to run hard or PR and I gave everything I had at Saturday’s Spring Sprint 5K. I was just having fun at a race I was never meant to do and we were definitely having fun up until Chrissy started hurting.

However, it hurt for her to stop. She had to keep moving. She continued at a slower pace and I continued to take photos and sprinted to catch up with her.

At mile 9, we passed the Ringling Museum of Art and continued on a path through the beautiful residential community of Indian Beach Sapphire Shores.

At mile 10, Chrissy needed to stretch her hamstring some more. While she stretched, I hunted down some ibuprofen for her at the water station. No one could supply any; however, a young man was quick to inform me, “You shouldn’t take that. It’s bad for your kidneys.” Thinking about my poor injured running partner, I looked at him in disbelief and had no response (which is not like me). Had I not been focused on finding ibuprofen or helping my friend I would have replied, “Well so is Gatorade, but I don’t see that from stopping you shoveling out the ~~sh*t~~ stuff.”

Anyway, no ibuprofen and only 3.1 miles left to go. We got this. At this point, we bump into fellow Strider and blogger, Jackie of See Jackie Runn. We were tutu twins.

The mile 11 water station wins the award for most spirit. Maybe it was the green beer and mimosas, but they delivered some amazing energy which is what you need to finish. When I stopped to take photos, they hollered, “There’s no stopping to take photos, Marie! Keep running!”

All throughout the race, people cheered, “Go Marie! You’re looking good, Marie!” It made me laugh every time. But I did need to make Marie proud and finish around the 2:30 mark, so I really did need to keep running if I was going to hit that mark.

We pushed it a little harder and I predicted a 2:26 finish. No more photos now. Well, maybe a few more leading up the finish line.

Just as I predicted, Chrissy and “Marie” finished at 2:26:25 and we finished together. Jackie finished a few minutes behind us.

Bib#1797
Clock Time 2:26:51
Chip Time 2:26:25
Ave Pace 11:11

After a few finisher photos and removing the palm tree from my head, we sprinted to the breakfast spread by First Watch that waited ahead. The yogurt parfaits were my favorite. I think I ate three. Hey, runners need protein! I was hoping for First Watch’s famous pancakes as the signage along the course promised, but threes parfaits would suffice.

Since Chrissy and I needed to leave shortly after the race, we didn’t have time to enjoy all the post-race activities overlooking the gorgeous gulfview, like the beer truck. At least we enjoyed the entertainment briefly.

I was green with leprechaun envy over Mike’s pot of gold headband.

Next year (Yes, I will definitely be back next year), I would love to make our trip to Sarasota a long weekend and stay overnight to enjoy the post-race party and festivities. Despite the the John Ringling Causeway, also known BAMR Mama Bridge and baby bridge (which was GREAT training for Iron Girl), the race was fun full of high-energy thanks to the spectators. A big shout out and thank you to all the volunteers and spectators who cheered and served the runners. Next time, please have ibuprofen and Vaseline on hand.

And next time, the medal needs to be bigger.

Day Out With Thomas: The Go Go Thomas Tour

Thomas the Tank Engine rolled into Tampa Bay last weekend. My family and I had the pleasure to visit Thomas and experience the Day Out With Thomas: The Go Go Thomas Tour 2013.

Little Lion Man love trains and adores Thomas the Tank engine. Upon our arrival, he immediately spotted the parked trains at the Florida Railroad Museum, home to the Day Out With Thomas: The Go Go Thomas Tour 2013.

At the entrance each of my children we’re given an activity map. After visiting each station, a volunteer stamps each completed activity. Little Lion Man directed us which station to start at first for a chance to earn a set of Thomas stickers upon completing the activity map.

With a 2:15 departure time, we had plenty of time to enjoy all the stations and other fun activities, like climbing the old fashioned fire engine, the bouncy jump houses, mini-train rides, tractor-pulled hayrides and dancing at the children’s rock concert.

Once we boarded the Thomas, we enjoyed our quaint train ride through the Parrish countryside which vaguely reminded my children of the scenic towns of the Island of Sodor.

Little Lion Man couldn’t contain his excitement to be riding Thomas. As we clickety-clacked through the countryside, the conductors chatted with the passengers and distributed Jr. Engineer Certificates. Little Lion Man held his certificate proudly.

After our Thomas the Tank Engine train ride, we visited with Thomas to thank for him for another fine job and special special. Being such a huge Thomas the Tank Engine fan, Little Lion Man was thrilled to meet Thomas in person. Thomas seemed happy to meet Liam too.

Nearby, Sir Tophamm Hatt greeted all the visitors boarding and departing Thomas, but Little Lion Man didn’t want to stop for a photo opportunity and chat with Sir Tophamm Hatt. Soon after, he fell asleep and missed his chance with Sir Tophamm Hatt. All the Thomas the Tank Engine excitement was all my locomotive-lover could handle. Thanks to Thomas and friends, Little Lion Man will surely have train filled dreams.

Day Out With Thomas: The Go Go Thomas Tour 2013 will be stationed in Tampa for only one more weekend, Saturday, March 23 and Sunday March 24. Visit the Day Out With Thomas: The Go Go Thomas Tour 2013 site for ticket times and availability.

*I received Day out with Thomas: The Go Go Thomas Tour 2013 tickets for my family in exchange for my honest review. The opinions shared are my own.*

Gasparilla Half Marathon 2013 {recap}

In all the years I’ve participated in the Gasparilla Distance Classic Weekend, the weather for the half marathon has always been rainy and cold. This year, with temperatures hitting the high 70s, the Gasparilla Distance Classic faced record highs which prompted the race director to send out emails encouraging participants to drink water and stay hydrated to combat the heat.

Then on Friday evening, in unfortunate twist of fate, the City of Tampa alerted its residents to drink boiled water in response to a burst sewage pipeline. The Gasparilla Race Director sent a second email to ease everyone’s concern about water on the course. All the water distributed would be bottled Zephyrhills water.

Given the heat, I knew I would not be hitting a new PR, but I could shoot for a PB-PB (personal best post baby). Even with the heat, I knew I could run slightly faster than I could two years ago.

Chrissy and I started off together, even walked the David Island bridge bottleneck together, but I lost her around the 3 mile mark. She was determined to PR and I just wanted to finish without a heat stroke.

I kept an easy 10:00 mile pace and just enjoyed the course. I bumped into quite a few of my running friends along the way. I found my friends, Beth and Marie, cheering for me at mile 5.

I love running along Bayshore Blvd, but I always forget how incredibly long this part of the course feels. Thankfully, Heather caught up with me around mile 7, and but then, the sun decided to join to come to the party. Though the humidity hung around like an uninvited guest, at least the heat stayed away for the first half.

As in previous years, misters cooled off the runners as they ran along Bayshore Blvd. With the water boiling advisory, I avoided the “shitsters”. They were as unwelcomed as the heat and the humidity. I chose to dump Zephyrhills bottled water on me instead.

Much like Disney Marathon, I stayed hydrated by drinking water and Gatorade at every water station. Around mile 8, Jessica of Cuban Running Crisis handed me water. I couldn’t resist the water and a photo opportunity.

Just a little after mile 9, we turned for the homestretch back into Downtown Tampa. At mile 10 with only 3.1 miles left to run, I worried that I wouldn’t beat my time from two years ago.

But none of that mattered when I reached the cheering section at mile 11. A few hundred screaming children cheered and shouted out our names as we ran past. The sound of their cheers and the sight of their smiling faces brought tears to my eyes. Hearing hundred of children yelling my name humbled me.

As I stopped to take photos, I hollered back. “Thank you for being here! You ROCK!” Then, I read their shirts and I realized how true those words were. These children represented the Gasparilla Kids Running Program, a program to encourage kids to stay in school, stay healthy and maintain positive attitudes. We need more people in the world like these kids!