May the 4th Be with You

Happy Star Wars Day, America.

Did I ever tell you guys of my fondness for this franchise?  I'm kind of a fan of the original trilogy, and may or may not have committed the original three movies to memory (not so much the prequels and sequels, though - as a purist, I wasn't impressed.)

My younger daughter, Abby, is also big into Star Wars, and taking this into consideration, Kris (who herself can't name more than four or five characters from the franchise) and I decided to sign the whole family up for a Star Wars-themed 5K race through Midland City Forest.  We had a few other friends of ours running the race with their families as well, so Friday evening, once we were all out of work and school, we headed out across town to run through along a 3-mile course of mud, rain puddles, fallen branches, and ewoks.

Check it out. . .

Kris did the girls' hair up in a variety of styles from the movies, with Abby choosing to emulate Rey's hair from Episode VII: The Force Awakens.

Alayna wanted Padme's hairstyle from Episode II: Attack of the Clones.  Thank God no one asked me to help out with any of this - I can barely make a ponytail.

At Midland City Forest (Abby insisted on making a staff like Rey has in the films.)

(Kris went as Rey, too.)

The Houghs, ready to race.

With the Shepherds, Johnsons, and Larsons.

Another shot of the Houghs.  This time in front of the back entrance to an Endorian Imperial Bunker.

Imperial dance party with the kids as the race gets ready to start.

Queued up and ready to start.

Our party started out walking so that the herd could thin out a bit.  With so many people congested together, it was really hard to avoid the large puddles of mud and water that choked the course (it had rained like pure hell the day before.)

Mapping out our next path (as if the 5K wasn't roped off anyway.)

Sophie and Abby.

Kinda wish we would've had golf karts ourselves. . .

Kris was worried she wouldn't be ready to run a 5K, as she hasn't really kept up on running lately.  I told her repeatedly she had NOTHING to worry about - we were doing this with kids, and they have little to no energy themselves.

Poor Pete had to carry his kid for the duration of the race.  At least I didn't have to do that.

Andrea and Kris.

(Kinda wish I would've stolen one of these signs for my garage.)

Abby and Ella

The Cannonball.  Still walking.

 

 

There was a bend in the path that was obstructed by a frickin' pond, and could only be circumvented when someone heroic - like me - bent back a large tree branch so that people could walk down a small sliver of harder mud along the side.  Not all heroes wear capes, people.

. . . yeah.

Losing gas.  Quickly.

Kris requested an end-of-race selfie.  Note the lack of sweat - it took us a frickin'  hour to finish, as we were forced to walk the majority of the 3 miles.  In fact, Alayna was the very last 'runner' to cross the Finish Line.  In true Hough fashion. 

The moms pose for more selfies (by this point, all us dads had retired to a sports bar on the other side of town and left the womenfolk to retrieve the kids once they were done with their laser tag games (or whatever the hell they were doing.)

Preparing to Battle for Endor. . .

- Brian