I  woke up on Saturday morning to the sound of heavy rain hitting the sky light in my room. That was the first indication that the weather was not necessarily going to be stellar for the Shape Up RI 5K (to benefit Girls on the Run RI) 9 am race. It wasn’t just raining—it was POURING!

I arrived at the race start at 7 am and met a few other awesome mother runners, Danielle and Pam, who were also running buddies. We waited patiently as the girls started trickling in.

To keep myself waterproof, I cut out a whole at the top of a dry cleaning bag. It actually worked pretty well! I wore pants because it was a whopping 57 degrees at the start. Cold temps combined with driving rain makes a very chilly runner—especially when you are standing around waiting for the race to start. I wish I had a picture of my race day outfit to show you, but I was afraid of taking my iPhone out of its water proof case!

I was paired up with Tania, a sixth grader who participated in Girls on the Track (for 6th to 8th graders). This was her first race and the farthest distance she had run. We started out running and then did a walk/run combo for the rest of the race. Anyone who has run a 5k in Roger Williams Park knows how hilly their courses are! I think the walk/run strategy worked really well for a lot of the girls. They were so excited to start the race that a lot of them went out too fast!

My running buddy’s father came and did the race with her too. He started out with us and continued to walk behind us, eventually catching us on the hills! I think it’s awesome that he is working up to doing 3 miles every day, so he can walk/run to work! He was so supportive of Tania and a really sweet guy.

Although the weather did not cooperate, I think the race was a total success. If the girls could show up to run in the pouring rain, they can run in any conditions! I am SO proud of all of the girls who ran the race!