The Boy Runs!

Here's a fun way to spend a late Saturday morning: Get stuck in a traffic jam of SUVs, minivans and those proverbial hockey moms (::shudder::) on the frontage road of one of the busiest sections of I-35. Can't tell ya how many times my little blue Fit was nearly smushed by some moron overcompensating with his or her gas-guzzling monster vehicle.... But, hey, we were all posturing and maneuvering and angling to get to one of the UT parking lots or garages all for a good cause: to let our brats run!

Yep, that's right, Gentle Reader, Marathon Kids kicked off yesterday with a ceremonial lap and a half at UT's Mike A. Myers Track & Soccer Stadium. The boy napped in the back seat while we battled traffic and tried to figure out just where the hell we were supposed to park, which was not in the garage where we'd been told to park by the organizers, because the route to it was blocked off by event organizers--nice! Then the three human residents of Chez Boeckman-Walker made their way to the section for schools starting with the letter P and endured some mindless yapping from those organizers, "entertainment" from various members of UT athletic teams and the running 'o the flags around the track while some saxophonist did his take on the national anthem.

When finally our section was called to make its way to the starting line (a 15-minute crawl under the stadium seating because the first section was taking f'in forever to do the first lap and a half), Daddy stayed in the bleachers to take photos and mind the backpack full of water (no way was I running with that thing strapped to my back or trusting the husband to run with our camera in hand--that's a formula for disaster right there) while I got to carry--yes, carry--the boy to the starting line. The next time I take part in a race, I'm going to find someone to carry me to the starting line too. Sheesh.

Speaking of formulas for disaster, here's another one: cram a few hundred toddlers, people who haven't run in decades, strollers, rambunctious grade schoolers and generally fit adults onto a collegiate track and expect them to make their orderly way around said track one and a half times. Sheesh, it's a wonder more people weren't hurt since the starting pack never really had room to thin out. But the boy and I did the best we can to dash and dodge and pass folks, and the boy was grinning and having the time of his life. His mom was having fun too.

(At least there weren't any damn dogs on the track. Austin can't seem to have a sporty event without the dogs showing up. Then again, at the same time Marathon Kids was kicking off, the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation was doing a 5K or some kind of fun run in Round Rock, and I believe dogs were welcome there.)

Over the next four months, the boy will be running 26.2 miles. The feat should be hard for the boy since he loves to run to school some days. With his energy, he could probably put it that distance four or five times over the next four months. And I'll probably be right there beside him!

If you want to read more about yesterday, the Austin American-Satan has an article and some pictures, primarily from early in the morning when the Austin schools ran. Or you can just enjoy the pics the husband managed to take.