Running Smiles

I woke up this morning at the usual work time instead of the weekend sleep-in time. I deliberated whether to run or not. Yes.
I had a bowl of oatmeal with all the fixin's and thought how that would have been better fuel before the marathon than what I did have. I waited an hour to go out so read blogs and other favorite sites to pass the time.
At 800 I was on the streets in low 50s temps and a slight breeze. Four miles was my target.
After not running for a week the sore spots had disappeared but about halfway through this morning I could feel the strain in my left hip and it seemed like my left foot was turning in on each stride - a sure sign of something akilter. But, hey, I was only going four miles.
The most exciting part of the run was coming back through Blue Jacket Park where the Track Shack Foundation was holding their annual Smile Miles races for kids 11 and under (all free). There were tons of kids with their parents cheering them on. The winners in the 11 year old groups were knocking that mile off in 6 minutes and change! I was impressed. So many of them looked pooped at the end. Then I looked up at the clock and realized their times would beat mine on a good day.
I made a few observations: Track Shack is a specialty shoe store and race organizing company. They are great folks and will soon reap the reward of lots more young runners needing running shoes and wanting to race 5Ks or more. That's good business development.
I spoke to a guy name Wayne who is an elementary school PE teacher. He is also a running trainer on the side. At school last year he "recruited" 35 kids to join his running club. They run twice a week in the mornings before school. This year he had 65 come out for the team. That's so awesome. They were all racing this morning. Our high school cross country coach has got to love the prospect of new talent developing down there in the elementary schools.