St. Patrick's Day Race

The day came and although not technically St. Patrick's Day it was to celebrate and for a good cause, Special Olympics.  The band was a playin'

and we were amassin'...

The gun was ready to fire then...BANG

We're off.

The crew ready to run.  Me, son-in-law, B, A&A, and me wee daughter B...

Huh, just noticed we had adjoining numbers.

The sweet couple getting ready to celebrate 3 years of wedded bliss. 

Now the story.  I took off running or lightly jogging with the huge 2600 mass crowd and kept it up for a short bit before the shins started SCREAMING at me.  I hadn't even gone half a mile and I was ready to quit, quit I tell you.  I knew that B&B and A&A would take off and leave me, I didn't mind.  I'm usually at the back of the pack because of my short stride and slow pace.  I was passed by person after person and soon on the other side of the street I saw B&B as they were heading down towards the finish.  I had a long way to go yet.  I was a bit scared when one guy passed me wearing a portable oxygen candula thing.  Great.  I pushed through the pain by walking most of the first half of the race and suddenly just before the turn around part it stopped.  I decided that I would round the orange cone and begin the run part. 

I kept up my steady plodding and soon I could see the finish banner and hear my family yelling! 

I heard B&B yelling that I was going to beat my time.  I looked down the way and saw a huge clock ticking the time away.

It said 58. something seconds and I was so close.  The best I've done on the 5K on the treadmill was 60.57 and I was about to beat it.  I don't know the exact finish time, but I know it was 58 or 59 something.

WOW!  I did it and I feel such an accomplishment.