This past Saturday my family and I participated in the Courage Center 5K. 
And when I say my whole family I'm not kidding.
(lovin' Audrey's sassy pose)
The race started at the Courage Center and ended up that the new Twins Stadium. It was my first time there and it was super cool.
But anyway. Back to the race.
We brought the double stroller and Chad either walked with/carried on his shoulders/chased after the third rogue child the whole race.
I couldnt stop taking pictures of numbers. I had full on "Race Number Fascination".
I think it stems from being a couch potato. Ya know. Cause having one on sorta made me feel like a real athlete or something.
I might have worn it around all day.
I might have pinned it onto every shirt I have worn in the last 48 hours.
Audrey showing daddy proper stretching techniques.
And we're off!
Kidding. We actually had to walk a quarter mile to get the the START line.
And we're done! Great race huh?
Yes. It took us FIFTY SIX minutes and thirty nine seconds to walk just over three miles.
I was horrified when I saw that time.
Therefore I have come up with a list of totally valid excuses as to why it took me almost an hour to go three miles.
1. We started after the runners, so the clock read 10:00 before we actually went across the START line. (-10)
2. I was pushing no less then 60lbs. and no more then 80lbs throughout the entire race. (-5 min. per child)
3. The kids often wanted to stop and trade seats and do random things that surely contributed to at least 10 minutes of wasted time. (-10)
4. I had to stop and take pictures of the TwinCities skyline. (-5)
If you follow my very detailed calculations, I actually did the 5K in 16:39.
Thats right. Sixteen minutes. Not fifty six.
That seems more accurate.
I'm the big red spot with bangs and teeth.
Truly though… we were so thrilled to be a part of something so big…something that promoted health and family and happiness… something that helps people who are so deserving.
And now I need to go carb load. I'm not doing another race or anything, I just love carbs.
Amanda, even if it had taken you almost an hour, you still did it! I’m glad for your sake that it wasn’t actually that long. I’m sure you’re much happier with the time of 16:39. Congrats on doing the race and your family is just as cute as can be!!!
Renee
this is a great post – you make me smile
And seriously, time doesn’t matter! (at least that’s what I keep telling myself during each race I do). Your family is beautiful 
oh my gosh…I am totally laughing over here.
16:39? Hilarious!
I only have two kids and I think I’d have to add an hour to my time…
but what would I know – I haven’t actually DONE an official 5k (until this coming September that is!)
Amanda, you crack me up. I love how you write.
Great job… an hour or 16 minutes… whichever way you choose to look at it! 
So.. what kind of carbs are you partial to? I am eyeing the leftover cake on our counter even though it is only 10 AM.
Blessings to you,
Kari
P.S. Check out my blog to see how to mop a floor “man style”. LOL. Hopefully it is funny to someone other than just me!
Way to go, Amanda! Most importantly, it looks like you and your family had a great time together. Love it!
Kudo’s for you & the family for doing it! Great pictures too. You look hot
Way to go! The time doesn’t matter; the effort does! What a fun family activity.
I can do the 5K in about 5 minutes… in a car…
Very impressive timing on your part! Congrats!~
The finishing time is not important. The family time is! Good for you and your family. Great pictures
Oh my word. You RAN that?? I can’t even run to the corner.
YAY YOU GUYS!
Awesome job!
probably would have taken my crew 2 hours at least – we’re slow that way and Bekah and lizzie want to stop and check out every little rock and blade of grass along the way! 
And since they both can now unbuckle and climb out of the stroller it doesn’t help! 
lol
Have a great week!
Love it! How fun!
Congratulations, looks like you had a fab time! Very cute little munchkins, and a very worthy cause to race for! I’ve started training for a Moonlit Walk in September, I’ll remember to bear your time calculation in mind lol! Xxx
I am a very firm non-athlete! Never done a 5K and probably never will. We’ll see on that one.
Congrats on going for it!
I turn red easily too, anytime I exert ya know like past a walking speed, so don’t feel bad
And you were carbo loading afterwards cuz’ it works the same, doesn’t it? :0)
Great pictures, that’s a good idea for a family day!
Wow – this is wonderful Amanda! Congrats to you and your whole family! And don’t worry about 50 minutes… I can barely RUN a 5k in that time!!
Wow – this is wonderful Amanda! Congrats to you and your whole family! And don’t worry about 50 minutes… I can barely RUN a 5k in that time!!
Oh, man! That makes me feel like the slowest racer EVER! You did each mile in just over 5 minutes. You should join the Olympic track team! They need runners like you! It’s fun, though, isn’t it, to be part of a race. I love it! GREAT JOB!
Hey, I got this really cool card in the mail for something big happening in 3 weeks. I would just like to say, we’ll be there because there isn’t any way we wouldn’t. Oh, wait. Well, I guess there would be some ways. i don’t know if Chris will come. He usually works on Saturdays, but if he doesn’t, work that is, I will “drag” him along!
You guys are so adorable!!! LOVE all of the pictures! Those TOTALLY added a good 25 minutes to your time!
Awesome!!!
I can’t believe Audrey is that big. It seems like just last week I was seeing her teeny tiny baby pictures.
Again, I love the way you jump in to things! The kids looked like they were having a blast and your calculations made total sense to me.
Are you ready to start school? We have ten days on the books. I’m so excited to see them growing this year in their reading. I hope it’s a great start for you.
I love it!! I am going to start calculating my runs this way, totally makes sense.
Good for you! And for a good cause too.
Love the last pic of the whole family…so adorable!
I used to run 5Ks…lots of them. But now I couldn’t walk it in the time that you guys did! Great job, looks like fun!!!!
I just found your blog via I am baker which was featured as a link in my typepad updates email. which, in blogging terms, means you’re in the big leagues!
I love to see women with hearts for God getting more and more visibility. I like to think maybe, just maybe, blogging was created to help His love continue to be spread to all the corners of the world!
Wow I haven’t visited in awhile! Audrey is looking so big!
Good for you guys getting out and supporting Courage Center. Thanks!
Amanda,
How wonderful! I think it’s great that the whole family joined in!
By the way, what is Courage Center? I’ve recently become involved in a ministry called Courage to be You.
Oh wait, I see you have a link. I’ll check it out.
Genny
YOu are too cute. How fun that the whole family got to do this together. I did a 5k walk this summer and it was fun too. I have many excuses as to why I finished last in my age bracket too. LOL
YOu are too cute. How fun that the whole family got to do this together. I did a 5k walk this summer and it was fun too. I have many excuses as to why I finished last in my age bracket too. LOL
What a great example to set for your children, and the sixteen minute recalculation sounds just about right to me. Love your site – it’s like a breath of fresh, sweet spring air.
S.W. Kirkham http://www.yourrecipesforlife.com
It is really good to know your 5K.I am so glad that your children are also with you.This is like an encouragement for them.I do appreciate you that you have done a great job.Keep up the good work.
16 minutes –
color me impressed. I think you mean “rogue” child instead of rouge child although that might also be appropriate since your face was rouge by the end. I have a similar pic of me after my one and only 5K.
Races are the bomb. My husband and I join one every time one is held down here. Love em
We love events like this!!! Aren’t they the best to participate in?
Storytime…long comment ahead! If you google my name, it actually comes up in the stats for a 5K event called “Matt’s Race”. It’s a children’s cancer benefit in memory of a little boy from our church that’s with Jesus now. Anyway, Cody was brand new on staff at the church so we signed up for the event and excitedly arrived to meet our church people and a few hundred others… The event was broken down into walkers and runners. We were suppose to be “walkers”, but somehow, over-zealously trying to put ourselves “out there” to impress our new church people, we ended up being entered in the runner’s side. We got our numbers and thought we were so cool, then we joined our church group…they were walkers, with no numbers. Oops! We were obviously out of place with the runners and now with the walkers too. Even better, the results were published in the newspaper and now kept for all posterity online: last place with the 49 min 5K…Londa. Lovely. We didn’t even have kids to blame! Maybe I can claim that we were lovin’ people to Jesus!
Wow, great job! The picture of the skyline is absolutely gorgeous!
How cool that your whole family did the race together, I love it!
They were so happy to be part of something for something big health and the promotion of some of the family and the happiness that helps people who are so worthy. And now they have to go charging in carbohydrates. No other race or anything else, they love carbs.