PARP! PARP!

[captainsblog]

What a beautiful morning. What a worthy cause.

Even though my phone reported a 28 degree (Farenheit) temperature at 8:something a.m., I gathered water bottle and phone, put on my Boston 5K shirt, and headed to Delaware Park to run in support of those who ran, those who fell, those whose lives were changed, and those who aren't going to let some random crazies mess with "my fucking city."

I hadn't been outside running since Thanksgiving. My first treadmill session at race pace was yesterday- and it set off some ankle pain. It was gone by morning, and while it came back briefly during the run, it wasn't enough to stop the moment.

This event obviously didn't exist before Monday. What's amazing is how quickly it came together to something short of a formal sanctioned road race but in every other respect a good and important one. Local businesses donated water and provided sound at the start/finish lap point; shirts were ordered and on site for those who ordered as late as last night; and police provided a sense of safety but not a sense of police state.

The ring around the parp is about 1.8 miles. After walking to the start/finish spot and grabbing the t-shirt, I set the stopwatch and a second-week of C25K instructions and began heading round. All around were smiles, flags, memories and every make and manner of dog.

Plus, only in Buffalo, there were, well, buffalo:



The bison pen comes right up to the ring path, and they were out standing in their field;)

I made it round, including the time that photo took, in just over 30 minutes- a just under 17 minute pace for that distance of just under 3K.  I then soaked it all in at the finish line for 20 minutes or so, hoping to catch one of the two people I knew who were there. One wasn't bloody likely: the friend who co-organized the thing was doing 10 laps round in preparation for Buffalo Marathon in a few weeks, but I finally caught up with my friend Ann as I was just starting to head back to my car.

We did another lap round in roughly the same 30 minutes, so I did break 5K for the day.  Once home, I set down the shirt I'd bought to benefit the One Fund for victims of the bombing.  It quickly acquired company:



She will not run. She is a cat. But she still stands with you, as hundreds did here today. No medals, no cowbell that I heard, but plenty of love and support.

Comments

[tilia-tomentosa.livejournal.com]

<3

[nentikobe.livejournal.com]

I can't run on a treadmill - it scares me too much. I never thought running was an option - but you keep posting about these and I keep starting to think - well... maybe I need to let go of my weights and try to move a bit more....