So last night we did the Kick'n Asphalt in Decatur. They held the run in Graceland Fairlawn Cemetery to benefit Easter Seals. This was our 6th race this year and probably my favorite.
There were a couple things I didn't like. No bibs. They didn't give out bibs to track your time. Which is fine, I guess, I don't really run for time. But when you have a bib, you can thumb tack it to your wall or tape it into your scrapbook or fold it up and stow it under your pillow. It's sort of keepsake. Memorabilia. Proof that you were there and you did it. They did hand out popsicle sticks with place numbers on them. Which sort of reminded me of PE freshman year in high school. Aine got 39th. I got 40th.
Also, weird was the fact that the staging area was at the funeral home attached to cemetery. So, when you went in to go to the restroom, every room was filled with runners in neon colors and blinking lights and glow sticks. It felt bizarre.
On the other hand, there was a great festive spirit. Energies were high. Everyone had wrapped themselves in blinking Christmas lights, glowing necklaces, glow in the dark shirts, crazy sparkling hats, and head lamps. Dad sent us a pair of headlamps for the run. We had some technical difficulties with one, but I wore the other.
I wasn't the only guy wearing a headlamp. I was the only guy under the age of 50 wearing a headlamp. It paid off though, the course had dark corners and potholes.
The run was amazing. We started at dusk, with the sun setting red and orange behind the massive, dark Scotch Pines and White Oaks in the cemetery. Because dense woods sheltered the area, you couldn't hear anything but the wind and a distant train wailing in the night. After darkness set in, the course felt so still and isolated, you could easily have been running through a tunnel underground.
Also, it was cold. Very, very cold.
Across the finish, they gave dude a medal.
In addition to the usual fare of water and Gatorade and bananas and power bars, the Salvation Army set up a trailer handing out cups of chili. It was pretty much canned Hormel chili with beans, but they gave me a handful of saltines, and after a cold run it tasted beautiful. I almost wept.
Even this morning, when I burp, I can taste the chili all over again and I get sort of emotional.
This run also had the best goody bags of any race I've done so far. It included a backscratcher, a koozie, two pens, a pencil, a package of tissues, a glow in the dark shirt, a Christmas ornament, a glow bracelet, a glow necklance, and a coloring book.
So, good race. I will definitely do this one again. If Aine says we can.
Only one downside to this whole experience: I ran my usual Friday afternoon 6-miler, so with no day off between my Friday run and the Saturday race, I sort of feel like a used piñata.
The Before-and-Afters:
In other news, Autumn has arrived. So, 30s-40s at night. 50s during the day. The beasts have chillies pretty much all the time.
And we have to sweater up before walks.
On the other hand, the leaves have started to turn.
And here's a picture of the same trees with gratuitous roses in the foreground.
Those are over on Fox. In the next couple of weeks, I'm going to get some pictures from Mattis Park, the Arboretum, and we're going to take a trip out to Allerton to see how it looks in the Fall.
Parting Shot
This afternoon's Squirrel Watch Report is brought to you by Fatty McTalons and Flops Furgeson.
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