Daniel First 5K Race

Before I get started talking about 6 year old Daniel Tulloch acting like a 6 year old at the “5^th Annual Newberry Township Police Dept. Dare to Care 5K Run/Walk ,“ I should explain what 5K means. A 5K race or walk is 3.10685596 miles, but to make it simple it is 3.1 miles the K stands for Kilometer which equals 0.62 miles, so a 5K race = 3.1 miles and a 10k = 6.2 miles.

To prepare for this race, Daniel ran at least 5 continuous miles once a week at practice.

Daniel ran his first 5K Cross Country Race today with a time of 31 Minutes, 5.30 Seconds. He came in second, the youngest person running the race. A Corporal in the Pennsylvania State Police who knows of Daniel and runs Marathon Races predicted that Daniel will run this race in 33 minutes.

The race started outside Lewisberry and ran into town and back. Besides a problem with a thunder and lightning storm, Couch Stephanie Tulloch was acting like a mother. She approached the Newberry Police concerned about the safety of Daniel running alone. A Police Motor Cyclist approached me and told me that he talked to Stephanie and told her that he will be patrolling the race and will keep an eye on Daniel. The policeman observed Daniel before the race and commented on the energy that he had. “With the energy that the little fellow has, I really don’t think he will be last in this race!” the policeman told me. My concern was that Daniel will start to “sightsee” around Lewisberry Borough and slow down. I knew that Daniel would finish the race.

Daniel (Left) was running in the 14 year old and under class. Cameron (right) the seven year old first place winner was running the race with his father. He finished one minute ahead of Daniel.

Daniel at the start of the race. He was right up front and ready to go.

The Police Motor Cyclist came back in the middle of the race to report to me that Daniel is running in the middle of the pack and he sees no problem with his performance. The Policeman was very impressed.

As Daniel came over the last hill before the finish line, my biggest fear was realized. He was acting like a tourist, sightseeing instead of trying to win the race. So I screamed down the street, "Let me see Flash!" That is all it took to snap him out of it and he took off.

After Daniel ran across the finish line, Sgt. Steve Lutz of the Newberry Township Police Dept. came over and shook my hand telling me how impressed he is with Daniel. Other members of the police department and members of the public did the same with Stephanie and me. But Daniel is doing the work. I am just the driver and Ice Cream Supplier. I do a little couching on the side.

Daniel is ready to run a 10K race.

http://newberrypd.org/wordpress/?page_id=2

I would like to give a special thanks to Sgt. Steve Lutz and the Newberry Township Police Dept. for running a first class running program for the public and looking after Daniel as he ran this race.

http://newberrypd.org/wordpress/?page_id=46

Race results of this race will be updated by the police as time and manpower permits.

The Flash’s One Year Anniversary

Trainer Kathy Derr was with Daniel at the starting line.

July 20, 2011 was Daniel Tulloch’s one year anniversary of competition in Cross Country as well as Track and Field. He ran in the Millers Mutual Harrisburg Mile that took place on Front St. in the City of Harrisburg, Pa. This is how he did;

http://www.patrailrunners.com/files/2011_HARRISBURG_MILE_AGE_GROUP_RESULTS.HTM

Daniel finished the mile run in 19th place out of 35 males 10 and under. Fastest person was 6 Minutes and 38 seconds in the 10 and under age. He was the second age 6 person to finish. The Flash finished 7^th in the 6^th thru 7^th age group. Daniel finish 10^th in the 6^th thru 8^th age group. Over all, the Jamaican Flash finished 94^th out of 377 Men and Boys of all age groups.

He may have done so well because he was acting like a 6 year old again. Daniel knew that when he finished the race, he could play in the Air Castle. He could see it as he ran down Front Street. As he approached the finish line, he was really moving. The Flash never slowed down going across the finish line. Instead he blew past me in the 90 plus degree heat and proceeded out of the race area and down the side walk toward the Air Castle.

It was too hot for me to run after him and he would not slow down when I called his name. Fortunately for me, he stopped when he entered the play area.

http://www.parunners.com/calendar/year.listevents/2011/08/27/-.html

We are now considering placing Daniel in a 5K run in future months to see how he can do. I know he will do well if at the end of the run they have an Air Castle to play in.

Daniel gave us a surprise at the Jim Thorpe Track Meet on July 5, 2011 at Ecker Field, Boiling Springs High School. Daniel wanted to participate in the Standing Long Jump. At practiced, in the evening of July 1, 2011, I showed Daniel how to do the Standing Long Jump to the best of my ability. He practiced this event on his own the entire weekend.

At Boiling Springs, he participated in this event along with over 20 other children his age. He placed 3^rd with a jump of 4 feet, 4 inches. This event will also be in Daniel’s future plans.