Brazen's Wildcat 5k/10k...

We have 2 age division winners in the house!!
Both these courses are tough (but not nearly as tough as the 13.1+, kudos to those who ran it). The 5k is basically up and over a ridge, then turn around and go back up and over for 900+ ft of elevation climb. The 10k is made up of 2 main climbs w/rollers for 2000+ft of climb. It was Emma's (10 yrs old) first trail 10k (trail 10ks are much more difficult than most road 10ks, so we had her master 5ks and do a 10k road race first). I was predicting a finish for her of around 2:30.  The 10k started 30 minutes before the 5k, which Sophie, Myles and I were "running". I figured Myles would take about an hour, so we would probably be finished for an hour before Emma.
Nope.
Myles and I were walking down the last hill and I heard "Hi Momma" from half way up the hill behind me. Actually, we weren't walking, Myles was peeing in a tiny little bush on the side of the trail that hid nothing but it was a bush, so he thought he was hidden. She scorched this course in 1:43, taking second in her division!! Don't let the time fool you, that is extremely decent considering this course w/it's climbs! She lapped Myles and I and was already sitting eating her It's It when Myles and I came across the finish.
Sophie (8 yrs old) did awesome, too.  She was second in her division, and did great with the climbs.  Her allergies have been pretty bad and I was worried about her stamina, but she climbed like a champ and ran the down hills and she, too, was well into her ice-cream when Myles and I finished.
Myles (5 yrs old)....he made me work hard!  He was not the least bit interested in running...at all. I held his hand and pulled him up the hills. When he got tired of that he would turn around and walk up backwards and have me pull him by the back of his shirt. He repeatedly asked for a piggy back ride. He ran one very short flat section, and he ran the last 100 ft or so across the finish....but if it was up or down hill, he wanted to walk.  I pushed him until he would start to crack and then backed off (same thing I used to do with the girls) with little results.  He's totally happy to slowly walk and dilly dally along and not care. While I always just want him to have fun.....it is frustrating to me that he has no desire to push himself. I want the kids to know that they always need to try their hardest, and whatever the result, that's great. I  know that he's only 5, and he's a boy, and he just wants to finish so he can get his medal and ice-cream.  I would, however, like for this whole 'try your hardest and do your best' idea to kick in with him before he starts school in August! I don't care if we are last, or if he dnf's, but I want him to know that he tried his hardest.  I want him to know that he can push himself harder than he thinks, and can accomplish more than he thinks if he's willing to be a little uncomfortable for a short period of time (this is relative, so for a 5 yr old...I would be happy with picking a tree 40 ft away and running to it w/o stopping...not just saying "no, I'm just going to walk") I want him to finish a race and have the feeling of knowing he did his best. So, yeah...it took a lot of coaxing and prodding and pulling and pushing to keep him moving forward, but eventually we did finish.

I am super proud of the effort and determination both girls showed today.  Sophie was on her own out there, getting it done on her own, and that gives me hope that one day Myles will be, too!

I'll have pictures up later tonight.