Racing, Rashes, Rodents, and Revelry

I think I mentioned how nervous I was for the 5k I entered this weekend. Well, the nervousness built all week and finally subsided at around 8:21 on Saturday morning. I didn't reach my goal of running a sub-21 minute 5k, but I came closer than I have in a couple of years--21:29. I had planned to use my watch to pace myself, but when it came right down to it--I just ran as fast as I could. I looked down at my watch a few times--I started at around a 6:20 pace, slowed to a 7:20 on both the hills, and maintained around a 6:45-50 the rest of the time. I really just need to race more. The fast start about killed me.
Eli and Brandt ran in their first road race on Saturday; both completed the 1 mile fun run. Both ran the whole distance. Eli finished in 11 minutes and Brandt in 11:20!
After the race, Eli spotted a young chipmunk running around a tree-less field. It wasn't a baby, but wasn't as quick as an adult. Eli and Brandt probably ran another mile around the field just chasing the little guy. I think they would have been entertained all day at this if we had allowed it. I caught him with a Styrofoam cup, and we took him to a nearby tree. Hopefully he found his home...
Saturday night my mom had a Halloween party for her grandkids. They each could invite one friend--which was a GREAT idea. We almost didn't need to have any activities for them to do because they entertained each other just playing in the yard together so well. One of the funniest parts of the party was the "haunted house" in which the children felt of eyeballs (peeled grapes), brains (cooked ramen noodles) and guts (red Jello). The ramen noodles had kind of congealed, and as a clump really felt how I would imagine a brain would feel.
Eli decided to be Indiana Jones this year, and Brandt, after vacillating between the pirate "Jack the Sparrow" (as he calls him), and the Red Power Ranger, finally decided on the latter when he saw his beloved little costume jumpsuit from last year. I sweetened the deal with a new sword from the Dollar Tree. Asher was an extremely precious Woody the cowboy (from Toy Story).
This week we have been dealing with a BAD case of poison ivy with Eli. He got into it at a Boy Scout service project he went to with Eric last weekend. It started on his hands and has spread like wildfire over his body. He has been making regular visits to the school nurse for re-application of calamine lotion. I think it's on the mend, now, but know that the wounds you see in the posted pictures aren't makeup to toughen up his "Indy" look--they're the real thing!
I took it pretty easy this week in anticipation of the race: Monday I ran 49 minutes. Tuesday I just did upper-body weights. Wednesday I ran 5.85 miles in 48:35 with Ashley. Thursday I biked 40 minutes in the morning and ran with the boys (we did about six 100's at a pretty fast pace) at practice. I also stretched a ton. I took Friday off. Saturday I warmed up for about a mile, ran the 5k, the mile with the boys, then cooled down for about a mile and a half.