Checked Off the List

2nd 5K...check. And I was so surprised to have improved my time greater than I expected. 28:43 this time, and BOY! were there more hills than the 1st 5K. (These are some pictures from the day first, and of course, a story to follow.)

Mimi and Aunt Dinah pose together after Dinah won 1st place in her age group.

Mimi cheered us all on!

That's me...almost to the finish.

Jan's almost there, too!

Aunt Dinah nearing the end

Mary Claire watching runners go by from the tree in Jenny's front yard.

My grandmother (who will be 91 next month) and my Jonah

Mary Claire checking on Daddy after his race. :-)

Mary Claire and cousin Hardy "cutting up"

Aunt Dinah helped Mary Claire make a doll out of corn husks.

This was the Somerville Cotton Pickin' 5k, and 9 of my family members ran/walked the race. A family affair...:-) Mom agreed to watch the children for us at my grandmother's house since the race would start and finish on Grandmother's street. We pulled out chairs and they sat and watched everyone run the start, then cheered us on at the end! I thought of my grandfather as we ran through the cemetary. He would have been 95 years old that very day. My Aunt Dinah won 1st place in her age group. It was fun to see her receive her award. She and my mom are amazing to me. I hope when I am 60 years old, that I am still doing/still able to do things like this.

After the race, we played with our cousins for a little while, watched the race awards ceremony, and walked around the square to visit the booths set up for the Cotton Festival. Then Mary Claire, Mom, and I spent some time eating lunch with Grandmother on her back porch just talking. That lasted unitl Mary Claire showed signs of exhaustion. Frankly, I was tired, too. She was asleep in the car well before we got to the city limits, probably before we got past the town square.

A great day with family and a great race, too! I am already looking forward to next year's Cotton Pickin' 5K. That is, if I don't kill myself getting ready for this half marathon and give up running before then. :-)