I finished this post on my old blog moments before my server crashed a couple of weeks ago.  The old blog was up for a couple of hours Friday and I copied this from the drafts because I know at least one of you has been waiting to hear about the race.  So here goes!

The last Saturday of August was the 36th running of the Crim Festival of Races in Flint Michigan.  It’s a big race, with thousands of runners, walkers and wheelers.  It brings in big name runners from all over, and it’s a spectacle to watch and even more fun if you get to participate.

This year I walked the 8K (5 miles)…though I was nostalgic as I watched friends head off for the 10 mile start, a race I have done many times.

My race didn’t start for an hour and forty-five minutes after the 10 milers left, and rather than stand around I went back to the car and read a book.  That saved my feet which was a good thing.  Because by the time we set off on our race the sun was high in the sky and it was HOT HOT HOT!

As usual, this race was well organized and had lots of entertainment.  From the drum group that set the cadence at the beginning of the walk…

..to the young band in the parking lot singing “GO BABY GO!”….

….the woman at the top of three Bradley Hills singing “I never promised you a rose garden…”

…and the preacher along the way that told us….

“You all are gonna have to step it up if you’re gonna catch up to those Kenyans!”  in reference to the lead runners who had finished long before we left the start line.

All along the way we had entertainment and support from both sides of the road.  Volunteers were offering water, in cups…

…and from cooling hoses.

My feet were killing me…but there was a lot of fun distractions…

…and inspiration.

I’m really glad I did it.  Now I have to figure out what is going on with my feet so that I can start training for next year.  I really want to do the ten miles on the last Saturday in August next summer.

Because I’m lucky enough to be able to.