5Ks For Clara in 50 States

 It has been about 10 months since our last 5K for Clara so we were very happy to go to Arizona this weekend for state number 10!!    Not only was I happy to leave Denver’s freezing temperatures and snow, I was thrilled that my longtime friend, Vanessa, and her boys wanted to run with us! Vanessa and her family knew Clara when she just was a little girl in Copperas Cove, Texas. They were always so kind and sweet to her. We were so grateful they wanted to remember her by running with us.  Our 5K was called the Move and Groove at the Zoo. It was such a fun experience to run through the Phoenix Zoo! The temperature was perfect with it being a cool 60 degrees. The zoo lights were still up from Christmas and there were a few animals that were present. Besides the Colder Bolder here in Colorado, this race now takes second place for the most well-attended with 2500 people.   It was a quick, but memorable weekend in Arizona, as we also squeezed in the Grand Canyon, a wa...

  California was our ninth state in our 5K for Clara series. This 5K was called the Cat in the Hat 5K and it is an annual race here in Long Beach, California. There were several individuals dressed up as  Thing 1 & Thing 2, which added a fun touch to the race vibe! This was the perfect race for Clara, as she loved for me to read her Doctor Suess books when she was young; her favorites being Fox in Socks and Ten Apples on Top.  It was a cool morning with some wind and yes, we did get some light rain but it actually felt really good. The sidewalk flanked the beach, making this one of the more breathtaking runs we have done!  At the finish line, I had Josh (who beat his Dad in this race!!) and Dave cheering me through the finish line. We stood next to the photographer toward the finish line while waiting for Luke. The photographer was a sweet lady with a German accent. Dave asked her where she was from and she said, "Austria." Dave then asked jokingly if she knew Ar...

        I registered for the Snow Stomp 5K in Salt Lake City, Utah for our eighth 5K for Clara. Little did I realize that it was a 5K in the mountains on a snow-covered trail, and intentionally so! They really wanted us to stomp snow! Thankfully, I had my Yaktrax! Some individuals were running in snowshoes. With our 5Ks for Clara shirts/hoodies donned, we started the race uphill. Dave took off at a fast pace, really hoping to place in his age group. I ran at a more careful pace, not wanting to slip on the ice. While running up the trail, we passed many cross-country skiers as well as hikers all decked out in snow bibs and hiking shoes with ice spikes. It was a beautiful morning for all of us on the mountain. At the finish line, Dave had several of his family members waiting for us. We were so grateful to have Dave's stepmom, Karen, brother John, and brother Stewart with his wife Kristine, and adorable son Peter support us. It was so cute to hear our little nephew che...

        What a special place for us to run a 5K on Thanksgiving morning. Clara Lynn was born at Scott & White Hospital in Temple, Texas and our race was in Temple, Texas! I'm so grateful we were able to honor and remember her in the place that started it all; the place that made me the luckiest mother on the planet.   Even with it being Thanksgiving, I had a little crew that wanted to run with me! It was nice having a lot of family members all together at my parent's house in Copperas Cove. We had two young, fast runners with us - my nephew Blake and niece, Honor. We also had my sister and husband. The weather was just slightly chilly for Texas, but not a problem for us Coloradoans. There were about 750 runners at this race in Central Texas - our second largest yet for our 5Ks for Clara! Colorado's Colder Boulder 5K was the largest so far.  At this race, there were two other runners wearing shirts honoring individuals in their lives who had passed. I wa...

  While visiting with my sister, Shiloah, and her family over fall break in Iowa, I decided to do our 6th state in our 5ks for Clara in 50 states series. There were no 5ks in the area my sister lived in last weekend, so we got up early and drove 2 hours to Shorewood, Illinois (right outside of Chicago) to do the Spooky Sprint 5K. The trail through the woods was absolutely gorgeous. There were so many gold, orange, and red colors on the trees and crisp leaves crackling beneath our feet. It was an autumn run at it's finest! Dave took first place in his age group!!! Sam took home second place, and Luke third. Everyone was all smiles about how well they did. After the race, we donned our mummy medals, enjoyed some donuts, and chatted with some of the friendly locals. All in all, a great 5K! Our next 5K for Clara will be in Killeen, Texas on Thanksgiving Day. Texas is Clara's birth state so I am so happy to run and honor her there. Stay tuned for my next post!    

  Because we were already in Florida to board our cruise, we decided that Florida should be the next state to run for Clara! I have to tell you, that running at sea level is much easier than altitude! I had one of my faster 5k times here in Orlando, Florida. However, it was very, very humid! Although I am well-acquainted with humidity, my guys are not! "Humidity is definitely not for me," were some of their last words in Florida Lol! We were so glad to have Sam with us for this 5K. He was so happy to run for his sister and ended up placing 1ST in his age group!!   I am headed to my other home state of TEXAS this November for Thanksgiving with my parents and to run for Clara. Texas friends, Come Run (or walk) with Me and Dave!!!!