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Post date: Jan 21, 2013 2:43:44 AM
May 28, 2012
You'd think someone who drank as much coffee as I do would not have all these sleep issues! But I did it again. My clock radio was originally purchased to wake me for my 9:00 Spanish class at Cal. When was that? Thirty-four years ago. It's amazing the thing still works but it does get a bit wonky now and then. This particular morning it was set for 7:30 but went off at six. So I wake, notice the time and also that I'm pretty much wide awake. I tell myself. "I'll just lay here and think for a moment or two." Next thing I know it's ten minutes of nine! Oops! So I amble out to the kitchen, pour a cup of coffee (of course!) and sit down to feel like an idiot! Then it hits me that I could minimize my idiocy! I've missed the start but if I get moving I could be there for the finish. So I jump in yesterday's clothes, grab the camera and leap on the motorcycle to give it my best shot. I have digital clock on the bike and by the time I hit the 580 Interchange I know all is good! I still had fifteen minutes until our people should be finishing.
So I cruise in, park the Suzuki, and as I'm heading toward the finish line area I hear a voice saying "Rick!" I turn and it's Claire, whom I haven't seen in like six months. What a treat! Turns out she is there to cheer on Tarq, who is running the 5K. She has made this cool sign saying "Go Dad! Go Annabel!" With hearts all over it. So we talk as we walk and it turns out her knee injury is far less serious (a bit of tendonitis) than her coach at Stanley led us to believe. She has basically just been taking a bit of a rest and is running again gearing up slowly for HS cross-country. That makes me very happy.
Tarq finishes strong!
We amble up to the start/finish and meet Gary. Not long after, the first 5K finishers begin appearing. And there in 7th place is Tarq, having run an excellent 22:17. Claire didn't become a great runner by mistake! It's in the genes! Not long after Tarq's arrival, Nikhil comes flying in at 24:45, which was good enough for 2nd in his nasty (14-19) age group. Trailing Nikhil by less than a minute is Isabelle who finishes first in her age in 25:30. Not that far behind her daughter comes Gabriela at 32:11.
Isabelle finishes with a smile!
Gabriela goes for it. Don't think Raptors aren't serious.
While all this had been going on, Jared has been toiling away at the 15K. He came through on his first lap (the 15K involves three trips around the Lake!) looking great and way ahead of PR pace.
Jared on lap one, looking chipper.
Turns out his second lap was tough, since he had gone out fast but at the beginning of his third circuit someone told him he was in third place overall in the 15K and that pepped him right up! He finished to thunderous applause in an amazing 1:09.53, nearly three minutes (is that right?) under his PR for this course. Remarkable!
Jared at the finish. I think he could be good if he would just try a little harder!
LMJS has decided to eschew using the professional timing group they were using (Ford Timing) and do things on their own so it looked like it might be a while until the awards ceremony. So Gabriele and I took off in her car to get goodies, coffee and hot chocolate for the gang. It took us a while but all were eventually fed!
Yet another really fun Raptors day!
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