Running Amongst The Pecans, And Other Stuff

As if hauling my creaky knees all the way to the top of Picacho Peak wasn't exhausting enough, I doubled down on the pain just a few days later by running a 5K. Best of all, my firstborn got to run with me! (At least for a little while.) It was all part of the annual Pecan Festival, a celebration organized by the nearby pecan orchards. It's been going for seven years now, and is becoming one of my favorite festivals in Sahuarita.

The run associated with the festival is called the Pecan Classic, and there are three different lengths to choose from when you register: an 8-mile course; a 3.5-mile course; and a family "fun run" (or "nut run") that is 1.5 miles. The first time I tried out the Pecan Classic, I did the fun run with Lorelai. It was her first race and she loved it. I also had a lot of fun running with my daughter; however, the distance was a little too easy, and I hoped that next time I entered the Pecan Classic, it would be at a longer distance.

We wanted to run again last year, but due to Nathan's father passing away, we didn't get the opportunity to register for the race. This year, I was determined to run the full 5K and we registered online a couple of months ago. I've done a few 5K runs in the past, so I figured I would be up to the task. Technically, the Pecan Classic is not a "true" 5K; its distance this year was 3.35 miles. In past years, the "5K" was 3.7 miles. Most of the time when I go running, I run just over 3 miles, so I was a little nervous about the longer distance. I'd hoped to train well in advance for the race, but life got busy and I wasn't able to run as often as I'd hoped. Oh well; there was no turning back!

As soon as we entered the orchard, I decided that the Pecan Classic is my favorite 5K in the area. Running under the bushy green trees is such a novel feeling in Arizona, and I loved it. The extra shade is nice when you're running, and it feels so much more calm and peaceful than running through the neighborhood. I purposefully slowed my pace so I could linger a bit and take in all the beauty. Lorelai and I ran the first mile or so together; she is so enthusiastic, but at the same time, she wants to talk to me when we're running...and then she is constantly starting and stopping while talking. It can be a little hectic keeping up with her; I am starting to suspect my pace is slowed by following Lorelai's herky-jerky pace.

But no matter! While I'd hoped to go a little faster, I also wanted to encourage Lorelai to have a good time. I hope I was successful. Just after the mile marker, our paths diverged, and Lorelai finished the fun run on her own. I ran for several more minutes and eventually rejoined her at the finish line, along with the rest of the family, who'd come along to cheer for us at the end.

My time was a little slower than I'd wanted, but at least my pace was a sub-12-minute mile, which is what I'd been hoping for. Lorelai was happy to get her participation ribbon, but she told me afterward she was a touch disappointed in the fun run. She complained that it wasn't as "long" or "interesting" than she thought it would be. To me, this was a sign that Lorelai has grown beyond fun runs and is ready to do 5Ks from now on. In fairness, I tried to persuade her to do the 5K this month, but she insisted on the fun run, because she would "get to do the run by herself." Hopefully, next time we enter the Pecan Classic, we can start the race together, then pace ourselves and finish at our individual convenience. Maybe that will give Lorelai the satisfaction of running a "full race" and pushing herself a little more than she did this time.

After we rested up a bit from the race, we joined the rest of the family at the Pecan Festival, which was located on the north side of Sahuarita Road, across from the main parking lot. Since the Pecan Classic starts an hour before the rest of the festival, we had excellent (and even better, FREE!) parking. Nathan is not a huge fan of large festivals (he doesn't much like Fiesta Sahuarita, for example), but I hoped that coming earlier and beating most of the crowds would warm him up to this particular activity.

 

The plan (mostly) worked! We went straight to the kids' section of the festival, with all the rides and the climbing wall. All the lines were either short or nonexistent, so we all proceeded to have a lot of fun.

Every single one of us tried out the climbing wall, including me! I am a bit of a wimp (I have weak arms and I am afraid of heights), so I actually surprised myself by participating. I didn't get very far, which was a little disappointing, but hopefully I'll be a little braver next time around.

 

The girls each spent a large amount of time on the climbing wall; sometimes 15 minutes at a time! (Did I mention there were no lines for large portions of our stay?). However, of the five of us, only Daddy made it all the way to the top of the wall and rang the bell!

 

We were all very proud of Nathan...and he was proud of himself as well. Thanks to his weight loss and increased physical activity (mostly golfing), his natural athleticism is starting to manifest itself in a variety of things. It serves to remind me of what a huge weakling I am. Darn genetics! Oh well, I am still very happy for my husband's accomplishments anyway.

 

Nathan also tried out the bungee cords and managed to do a few mid-air flips, as did Celeste. Lorelai and Aurora also acquitted themselves pretty well.

 

I tried, but failed, to flip myself all the way over. It required a lot of arm strength to help pull your body into a flip, combined with a powerful lunge from your legs. I have weak arms, and my legs were already tired out from the run. It was still fun to bounce around for a while, though!

All of us had fun in the gyroscope, though! This spinning metal sphere got pretty intense at times, but I had fun getting completely turned around and disoriented...as did Nathan and all the girls.

This was the longest line we had to face, but everyone waited patiently.

 

 

 

Not long after finishing several rides, the weather heated up, and we started to feel the fatigue. Nathan took Lorelai home (she was pooped by this point), and I followed soon after with the younger girls. I was really glad Nathan and the girls enjoyed themselves, and I was glad we were able to spend a beautiful Saturday morning together at a fun community event. I think I'll plan on running the Pecan Classic every year; I sincerely love the gorgeous race course and would welcome any opportunity to travel it. I also hope I can continue to improve as a runner and better my time each year. Wish me luck!