Hot Mama Club

If you take:

11 kids
1 babysitter
25,000 runners
Tempe, AZ
4.2 miles
4:30am wake up call
three strollers
Pink tank tops that say, "Hot Mama Club"

What do you get?

The Pat Tilman Race! This race is in behalf of an ASU and later AZ Cardinals football players who enlisted in the armed forces, to later be killed. It's an annual race that joins thousands of people to run, sweat and unite in memory of his legacy.

What did it mean to me? It was a lot of FUN! Granted it would've been better had Jared come along for the ride, but b/c I have good friends (and thanks to Dustin, the lone babysitter while the rest of ran), I was able to get out and not feel too overwhelmed with three in tote.

It took us getting up and out the door by 5am, to get to Tempe, AZ and registered for the race. Stress was a little high as we were trying to figure out where to go, where to park, how long could Isaac go without nursing, did we have enough treats and movies for the kids, how do we put on our numbers, and which corral to step into as we started up.

It was a low key race, but the emotions were high as we dogded lots of strollers, walkers, wheelchairs and runners pounding the pavement.

This was my first race and will not be my last. I am not a runner by any means, and 4.2 miles is an easy task for anybody...but, the thrill was to be alongside friends, packed in tight like sardines, and to have people shout out as we passed by, "go! Hot Mama Club!"

The kids did great, watching a movie in a parked car and eating treats as we ran. They even were able to participate in a "kids run" afterwards. There were so many people that you really had to keep an eye on your kids. I felt like I was running in the Battle of the Bulls in Spain.

We are signed up for one more last hoo-rah before Arianne and Bret leave us and move to TX. Scottsdale is doing a "night 5k" race, and we are all going to go do that for a double date. Now is the season in AZ to run, before the heat comes! Sniff sniff...I am so sad to see them leave us.