I am a member of the Mom It Forward Influencer Network, and this post is being sponsored by their brand partner, BODYARMOR. I am excited to participate in this campaign because my family already loves BODYARMOR Sports Drinks!
I have big news, you guys. I just signed up for my first post-op 5K!!!
(In case you don’t follow my story, I had major back surgery in May 2016. My last race was a half marathon in November 2015. So this is a pretty huge deal!)
And it’s soon – 8/5/17, which is just 2½ weeks from now. Am I ready to run a 5K in 2½ weeks? Ha. Not a chance.
So why on earth did I sign up?
Because THIS KID asked me to run a 5K with her.
And I sure as heck was not going to turn her down.
My Girl is on the Run
Back in 3rd grade, Sophia did one season of Girls on the Run. It was an overall success, although the actual 5K certainly wasn’t one of our finer mother-daughter bonding moments. She was bored. I was frustrated. Neither of us could wait to be done. I’m not sure how long it took us to finish, but let’s just say that it was long enough for her GOTR coaches and my dad to come looking for us. True story (see below).
Despite all that, she was all smiles at the finish line. She was so proud of her accomplishment.
Life happened, and running was put on the back burner for both of us. But then Sophia met her BFF Grace.
Grace loves to run races with her mom. And her mom, Stacy, just loves to run. She loves it so much that she started a little running club for Grace and a couple of friends, including both of my girls. They’d meet one day a week after school to run & stretch & learn the fundamentals of running.
Their training culminated in the Cupcake Run 5K in April 2017. This time, Sophia ran the 5K with Stacy – and she loved it! She finished with a big smile on her face. (The free cupcakes at the finish line didn’t hurt either.) And she immediately asked when she could do it again.
Running Club is on hiatus for the summer, but Sophia’s running goals aren’t. She wants to run a 10K and a half marathon, just like Grace. So in 2½ weeks, along with Grace and Stacy, we are running (or in my case, mostly walking) a 5K.
Now, before you get too impressed, you should know that we’re doing the Bubble Run – a non-timed fun run where the course is covered with big foamy walls of bubbles. I think it’s a great start for both of us – a no-pressure, silly fun run that we’ll do with friends. Still…3.1 miles is 3.1 miles, right?
Training with BODYARMOR
With Running Club on a break, Sophia & I have been doing our race training together. It’s not always easy – running during the summer in Florida comes with some challenges. The heat, the humidity, the mosquitoes, the afternoon thunderstorms…it takes a lot of careful planning and a little bit of luck to run here in July and August.
One of the biggest challenges, of course, is staying hydrated. I love traditional sports drinks, but Sophia has been drinking BODYARMOR during our walks & runs, and she likes it a lot. It comes in 9 flavors: fruit punch, orange mango, strawberry banana, tropical punch, blackout berry, mixed berry, grape, watermelon strawberry and lemonade. They’re sweet, but not too sweet, and they don’t have an icky aftertaste.
BODYARMOR is a premium sports drink. It has no artificial flavors or sweeteners, making it a healthier alternative to traditional sports drinks. Its potassium-packed electrolytes provide your body with superior hydration. It’s made with coconut water, has lots of vitamins, and is low in sodium and high in potassium. And did I mention that it tastes really good? I’m extremely picky when it comes to – well, everything – and even I like it.
You can find BODYARMOR at lots of stores, including Publix and Winn-Dixie. Visit BODYARMOR online to learn more and to find out where it’s available in your location. And make sure you grab this coupon before you hit the store!
Who Will Be the Next BODYARMOR Athlete?
Is your young athlete working to be the best? Check out how your athlete can become the next BODYARMOR athlete here: http://bit.ly/2rsSfFI
Meanwhile, stay tuned to find out how my little athlete and I do on our 5K. Wish us luck!
Courtney Deuser says
Get it, girls!!!
sharon says
Sure gonna try! xo
Albert Ugelow says
I am so happy and proud of both of you. No matter what happens you are winners in my book.
sharon says
<3
Deborah @ Confessions of a mother runner says
I can only imagine how happy this all makes you! So excited for you both to train and run together. Nice to see you on your way back