We stood at the start line together, ready to get moving, me feeling a tad anxious about my first 5K race in a long while. We’d talked through our race plans the night before, in our hotel while watching back-to-back episodes of Criminal Minds and having way too much fun ordering room service.
“Should we see how fast we can go?” my daughter inquired.
“Um…yeah,” I answered. “Yes! … Maybe.”
My hesitation: Emma, then 15 and in her second season of high school cross country, had been getting faster and faster as her training progressed. Could I keep up with her? I wanted to — any chance to run alongside my firstborn is a gift I cherish — but if we raced this 5K, if we put it all out there, I knew it would hurt. In that on-the-edge, uncomfortable yet ultimately rewarding way.
“Yes,” I decided. “Let’s go for it.”
Of course, I also added that she could most definitely take off on me at any moment if she felt the need to surge. No hard feelings. I wanted her to feel accomplished and good about her race that Sunday morning on Detroit’s Belle Isle. She did remind me that she’d just ran a hard 5K Friday afternoon, at an invitational at Michigan State University. She wanted to run with me, she said.
We ended up running the entire race together, save for the final hundred yards when she took off for the finish chute. It wasn’t a PR for her — clearly she had held back some for her mom — but I had my fastest 5K in recent memory. It was a great feeling for this longer-distance loving runner. Icing on the cake: we made it to the podium for our mother-daughter combined time.
Next month, Emma and I will return to this race, the American Home Fitness Goddess Half Marathon, 10K and 5K, set for Sunday, Sept. 18 on Belle Isle in Detroit. We haven’t yet decided which distance we’ll run, though we’re eyeing the all-new 10K event. We were excited to learn that Epic Races, which organizes this event, decided to add this middle distance to the roster of events.
“We added the 10K because it’s a fabulous distance that is often overlooked,” says Mary Culbertson, race director. “As Goldilocks would say, ‘It’s not too short, not too long… it’s just right!’ Of course, all distances are just right, but sometimes you want more than a 5K but less than 13.1. We are excited to offer the 10K this year, and Belle Isle lends itself to it perfectly!”
This will be my third time participating in this event — I also ran the half marathon a few years back with friends — and MRG will also have a booth again at this year’s Expotique at the Cobo Center on Saturday, Sept. 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Please come by and say hello, and check out lots of MRG gear we’ll have available!)
Race prices go up Friday, Aug. 19. Here are a couple of ways you can save on your entry:
- Use the code MRG16Epic10 to save 10% off your race entry. This is good for any distance.
- Stop by any American Home Fitness location this week. An in-store registration takes place Friday, Aug. 19 through Friday, Aug. 26, 2016 for “rollback” pricing. (You’ll also save the online fee and be entered to win prizes from Goddess Racing and American Home Fitness.)
Some cool things to know about the Detroit Goddess Half Marathon, 10K and 5K:
- For the first time in Goddess Racing history, the Detroit Goddess is offering a RIM Foundation Handcycle Division in the 5K, so that Goddesses of all abilities can participate in our event. The Handcycle Division will offer both Para and Quad categories, and participants will start with the half-marathon competitors. “We are very excited to welcome our handcycling sisters to Belle Isle,” Mary says.
- In addition to the half marathon, 10K and 5K, the American Home Fitness Detroit Goddess has two special awards divisions:
Mother/Daughter
Three Generations of Women: Spend a memorable day on Belle Isle running with your mother, daughter, grandmother or granddaughter. The family that runs together has fun together, after all, and what better way to show family pride — female pride! — than showing everyone how your family’s women run the D? Participating in these divisions will not preclude you from the regular age-group awards. These divisions are in addition to the age-group awards, so be sure to sign up when you register: one mother and one daughter for the Mother/Daughter division, and one grandmother, one mother, and one daughter for the Three Generations of Women award.
The American Home Fitness Detroit Goddess Half Marathon, 10K, and 5K is part of the Pure Michigan FITness Series of events and is endorsed by the Michigan Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness, Health, and Sports.
All race participants receive the following:
- Race chip timing with results posted within 6 hours
- A stunning finisher’s medal
- A super-soft, high-quality race T-shirt (T-shirt sizes not guaranteed after 9/4/16)
- The best post-race treats around, including broth by Zoup.
- For those 21 years of age and up, delicious Nectar of the Goddesses: Wolverine State Brewing Company beer — the official beer of Epic Races — to refresh yourself after the race
- A virtual goodie bag with offers and discounts from our sponsorsAll American Home Fitness Detroit Goddess participants receive:
- In addition, all the professional sports photography taken at the American Home Fitness Detroit Goddess (and at all of our Goddess Racing Series events) by Greg Sadler Photography is free for participants. All of the photos taken of you at these events will be free to download.
Ready to sign on? I hope to see many of your there! Get more details and register here »
{Spoiler Alert}
Check out this year’s medals and T-shirt below:
