This is one incredibly overdue recap. I don’t know why I have been sitting on it for so long. I think maybe this run, the 15th annual St. Charles Children’s Home 5K “Run With the Cause”, was just too fabulous for words.
Labor Day jaunt.
We hadn’t planned on doing a Labor Day run, seeing as we’d both done the torturous NH 10 Miler on Saturday and Hubby had finished the Applecrest Half Marathon the following day (because he is that crazy devoted). But when we were informed there was a 5K in which we could run with nuns, we couldn’t resist. Running. With nuns.
All jokes aside though, this was a race with a great cause. The St. Charles Children’s Home is a safe haven for children. The nuns run with the kids to give them healthy ways to channel intense anger and frustration and to enhance their self-esteem. These running nuns are amazing, and a little bit famous.
Don’t you just love the brilliant expression on this sister’s face?
They are also fast!
When we lined up at the start, I noticed one of the sisters was ahead of me, dressed, as they all were, in a habit (she was also wearing sneakers). We kicked off, and I could tell she was speedy but in my ballpark. This run had an extra incentive, whereby if you set a PR, you got a medal (on the honor system, of course). The course was purported to be flat*, so I thought I might be in for a shot. (I needed to run 30.02.)
I decided this sister would be my pacer, and for the first mile and a bit she was in my sights. Don’t forget, she was running in her full habit whereas I was wearing teeny shorts. It wasn’t a blistering day, but humid enough to sap you of your energy (mine is easily sapped). When we passed the halfway mark, I couldn’t help but notice that the gap between us was getting wider. She was amazingly consistent. I, as usual, was not.
My (slightly blurry) pacer up ahead.
By the time we got to the second mile, all hope was lost. She had pulled away to the point where I could no longer see her, and I could feel my PR medal slipping through my fingers. (I was also imagining what my Catholic school experience would have been like if these nuns had been in charge.)
Needless to say, the sister triumphed over the crazy person behind her she didn’t even know was there. No PR for me. But I got smoked by a nun, which was so much better.
(*It wasn’t flat, by the way.)
The event: St. Charles Children’s Home 5K “Run With the Cause”
The location: Pease, NH
The date: September 3, 2012
My time: 31.05 (pace: 10.01)
Hubby’s time: 20.33 (pace: 6.37)
The cause: St. Charles Children’s Home
The T-shirt: Orange cotton tee
The aftermath: Pizza and cookies made by the nuns, Applebee’s burgers
Stride and Joy 
Hopefully you didn’t get beat by the nun running in clogs. That’s still an awesome pace!
Nope. I was sitting on the side of the road enjoying a hamburger by the time she went by! 🙂
Next year… we run together in clogs.
OMG!!! I can’t believe that you ran this. ME TOO!! I also hadn’t planned on it either but sounded like a fun thing to do and after the 10 miler figured it was going to be a piece of cake! I was slower then you and finished in 32
Are you kidding me??!!! Hahahah. That is too funny. I am so sad I didn’t run into you again! We must have been super close to each other. What a fun event. OK, I am seriously going to look out for you every time I am in NH now. 🙂
Email me or Facebook me and let me know your coming so we can meet up. I think I have 2 coking up in Massachusetts in October. Next on my list is the Rockfest 1/2 Marathon at Hampton Beach Sept 30th.
Cool, I will! I usually list my runs well in advance on the blog too! 🙂
Running with nuns….that is awesome!
It truly was!! 🙂
We ran with some nuns
Courtney told us of this fun
It was our last run…
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Excellent write-up for a truly fine cause. Wonder if these kids will medal in the future with such fine coaches and motivation.
I’m sure they’ll go far. Excellent, but very sad, haiku.
Wow! What FUN!!!! It looks and sounds like a blast! Smoked by a nun, a story that not many would have to tell! Laurie, I am running the Rockfest too, see you there!!!!
Haha. Excellent. Hope you two find each other!! Have a great Rockfest. 🙂
The nuns made pizza and baked cookies then ran the race in a habit in the heat!? God bless them!
I know! They’re amazing!!
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