2013 Lazy Lobster 5-miler - 6/19/13 (virtual)

So I don't get any pictures of Holden running this race. He ran on Wednesday of this past week. It was a virtual run (the actual race took place on Father's Day up in Massachusetts) and he could run it wherever and whenever he wanted to. He could have ran it on Saturday when a group of Team Hoyters ran at the Oceanfront but they were all doing 10-miles, and he would have been the only one doing 5-miles. Plus he had just ran 8 miles the day before and didn't feel like running again the following day.

He ran with a friend of ours, Aric and his girlfriend, Heather. They ran at Mt. Trashmore during Ashton's New Energy P.O.W.E.R. practice.... and again, Holden PRed - he ran 41:11 which amounted to an 8:15/mile pace. WOW! Way to go little man!

So just a few pictures.... and I made a collage, so really, just one.

Top Left: GPS watch with time/pace/mileage
Top Right: Holden with Linda "Sunny" Fox, who also ran the Lazy Lobster 5-miler virtually
Bottom Left: Holden with Heather and Aric after the run
Bottom Right: Holden with his medal afterwards ...

2013 CHKD RunWalk for Kids 8K - 6/15/13

This race was an AMAZING experience in more ways than one for Holden ..... he was invited by Renee High, to warm up with her and her group of super-fast running friends, Courtney Pollman-Turner, Thomas Hicks and David Mick the morning of the race. She came and collected him about 45mins pre-race and led him through their warm-up (a 2mile run and some stretching) and got him to the start line. Y'all are keeping in mind that Holden IS only 11-years-old and he was running with some pretty strong and fast local runners.... Renee is one of our local elite female runners having been the female winner for the 2012 and 2013 Disney Marathons. Renee, Thomas, Courtney and David all ran absolutely fantastic races. But the best part for Holden wasn't just warming up with all these "greats", but David and Renee both came back in the final mile and ran with him to the finish, cutting off at the last minute so he had his moment of glory! That's a memory that he'll never forget, I can assure you! Thank you to EVERYONE who made his day by making him feel so special!

At the start line near the front - he look so tiny! lol

he realized afterwards he was right near David Mick ..
(also you can see Renee and Thomas too)

there he goes!! He's off to a great start!

and yet again... NO feet on the ground!! lol

Holden ran a new PR in the 8K distance, besting his previous time by nearly 2minutes (after besting THAT 8K time by 6.5mins!). Even MORE amazing? This boy came in 3rd place in his age group, males 12 & under! Woohoo! His time was 43:52! Way to go little man - you ARE amazing!!

at the finish line .... in bad need of a bathroom break! lol

I'm going to link to a couple of the professional photographers pictures...... Thanks to TriDuo for capturing moments in this race that I wasn't even aware existed until post-race!

Holden and David

Renee, Holden and David

Renee and Holden

Holden at the finish

to top off the super amazing morning, Holden made the decision to run with his brother in his brother's VERY FIRST 1-mile race! So proud of this boy... yes, you're calculating right, he ran 8 miles that day!!! WOW!

Holden with his brother, Ashton, and Marc (Ashton's best friend)

Ashton and his group at the start of the race .... See Holden? He's still ready to go for more!

Proudest moment ever ... my big guy finishing his first 1-mile in 16:55!
Couldn't have asked for better people to support him through that journey!

Holden with his 3rd place award - $10 gift certificate to Running, Etc!

Holden and Renee after he finished .... :) 

2013 Eggleston OK5K & 1mile - 6/8/13

The next race Holden did was the Eggleston OK5K and 1mile race. This would be another New Energy event (the 1mile) and then of course, he was running the 5K for the heck of it. We learned the night before the race that it was actually a cross-country run (meaning trails, not road) and it had been raining. So, that means...... MUD! Yuck!

Holden did a great job though no PRs.... it was definitely a different running median than he was used to and the mud didn't make it much easier. Still ran very respectable times... and won 1st place in his age-group for the 1-mile. Woohoo! He had a lot of fun and is lots more comfortable running with this group of kids than he was the first time he ran!

Holden at the start of the 1-mile - look at all that New Energy blue!

Coming towards the finish for the 1-mile

almost there, buddy!

..... and.... DONE!

Winner of the 11-12yo male age group! WTG!

at the start of the 5K .... yes, I get that look A LOT from him! :P

coming into the finish ..... go faster Holden!!!

and he's DONE!! Way to go little man!

2013 Chick-Fil-A 5K - 5/25/13

So this race was going to be a super special race, as my sister and her family were coming. I hadn't seen my sister in eleven years and had actually never seen my little nephew, who is 2.5years old. Holden was going to run the 5K, along with his Dad and his cousin, Kelcie. I think this was probably his best 5K race ever..... not just because he PRed, but because he TRULY enjoyed it!! :)

the Chick-Fil-A cow was warming up with Holden ;)

Made him stand right up front at the start! He looks so little! lol

He was running for Boston that morning!!

and they're OFF!

there he goes!! 

ALL DONE!! With a 2min PR in the 5K distance - 23:58! WTG little man!

2013 Thoroughgood Elementary Seagull Sprint 1 mile - 4/21/13

so in early April, Holden became a Tidewater Striders Running club member and started running with the New Energy-Suffolk group. Most of the New Energy kids run in 1-mile races and there was a race coming up a couple of weeks after Holden joined. So I went ahead and signed him up for it as we wanted a good, recent 1-mile race time.

Holden pre-race .... FIRST New Energy race!

warming up with the group

He's FLYING into the finish line!

Coach Steve Sheppard helped him achieve a new PR in the 1-mile - 7:06!

So his first race as a Tidewater Striders New Energy member was a huge success - and he's been loving it ever since!

2013 Autism Awareness 5K

Originally Holden wasn't going to do the Autism Awareness 5K as he had planned on doing the Elementary States wrestling tournament that morning. He decided about a week before the race that he wanted to race and not wrestle, so I signed him up. 

WHAT AN INCREDIBLE RACE!! He did a FANTASTIC job!!! He PRed his 5K time by 1 minute and did an amazing job assisting Mr. Mike Callan in pushing Ashton! Wow! He ran with a time of 25:54!! Woohoo!

Holden, Ashton and Mr Mike at the start!

Coming up on mile 1 marker

and unfortunately, I missed their finish! UGH! They ran so fast I couldn't get over to the finish line before they got there! LOL! :) 

BUT..... Holden placed 2nd in his age group!! (males 14 & under) ... way to go!!!

With his winner's medal! Way to go Holden!!!

2013 Shamrock 8K & Operation Smile Final Mile

Holden ran a fantastic race in both the Shamrock 8K and the Final Mile. As part of his Operation Smile Final Mile he ended up running a grand total of 102 miles ran and raised $1,025! Way to go little man!

Unfortunately, 4 days before the race, Holden ended up with the FLU of all things. He hasn't been sick enough to miss school since 2nd grade, and of all times, RIGHT BEFORE A RACE! Ugh! He ended up missing 3 days of school. Fortunately he was well "enough" to run come race morning. Although, he didn't want to race and kept complaining of stomach issues, etc. I think he was just nervous. Fortunately, a dear friend of ours, Dennis Welch, had said he'd run with and pace Holden, so we kind of talked Holden into it :) THANK YOU DENNIS!! I firmly believe if you hadn't ran with him, he would have bowed out of the race, and I know he didn't want to do that. 

Holden ran the 8Kwith a time of 45:39 ..... PRing last year's 8K time by nearly 6.5minutes, which is INCREDIBLE on any given day, but given how he was feeling before the race, was AMAZING! SO proud of him! He did an incredible job!

Holden and Dennis before the 8K at the starting line.
He doesn't look THAT nervous, does he?! :)

Holden and Dennis near the finish line - look! Matching form!

So then, it was time to get ready for the Final Mile .... yes, this boy ran a solid 6 miles total on this day, not counting all the walking around we did to get from the car to the start line to the finish line, etc etc! Holden ran this year's final mile in 8:24, which while it wasn't his fastest 1 mile time, was faster than his 2 previous years doing the FINAL mile. AMAZING KIDDO! Again, he wasn't feeling well, but had gotten a HUGE self-esteem boost from having just PRed his 8K time! He was in great spirits for the final mile, and here's a few more pics :)

ready for the final mile! handsome boy!

L to R: Ethan, Caleb and Holden .... 

nearing the finish line - way to go little man!!! 

With his Shamrock 8K and Final Mile finishers medals! HAPPY BOY!

So proud of him! Both for his efforts in fundraising (and surpassing his personal fundraising goal) and running miles (he ran 2 miles over his personal goal of 100 miles.... and would have likely hit 110+ miles had he not been sick the week of the race) and for sticking it out through non-ideal circumstances and doing an awesome job!! :)