Kiddie race report!

Have I mentioned that I have kids? And that they're awesome?

My kids ran a 100-meter race on Sunday. It was their longest-distance race.

And, they kicked some kiddie butt.

My new favorite races may be the ones I don't run at all. It's much more fun to watch a 3- and 5-year-old tear out of a start line.

A work acquaintance sent me a link to a new 5k race, the Daniel Horyn Skokie Swift 5K, in a suburb close to the city. I will admit that I've never heard of the namesake, a teacher who sadly died very young of cancer.

What got me was, well, there was a kiddie race.

I love that my kids ask me about running and races. I have been promising them a race.

This was perfect -- a race, and a fundraiser.

We set out Sunday morning, much earlier than we usually are up and about, and headed to the burbs. Of course, my anal get-your-butts-moving-out-the-door-drill-sergeant tactics made us get there ridiculously early. And it was a pretty cold day for June.

Pre-race, listening to the race director. They always listen this well.

Finally, we lined up. On your mark, get set, go, bullhorn! M-man tore off, a kindergarten blur. He needed no prompting. My daughter hesitated, but only for a second, and she was chugging down the street, all business.

I ran alongside C-girl, cheering for her. She didn't look at me once, instead just running her little heart out to the finish. M-man was waiting at the finish line for us, looking like, "now what?"

It was awesome. There were bags of candy and hugs at the end. And medals around their necks. And high-fives all around.

They have asked me when they can race again.

Soon!