Numbers One, Two and I ran the Cotton Row Memorial Day Run in downtown Huntsville this past Monday. None of us had been running much lately (I’ve had a bad case of “turf toe” since February), so a 5K for fun (and to get the t-shirt) seemed about right. We were running late, so we ended up at the back of the pack at the start.<\/p>\n
As we stood there waiting for the gun to go off, we suddenly heard the people around us applauding and cheering. We looked up and saw the very last 10K finisher (it had started nearly 2 hours before) crossing the finish line.<\/p>\n
He was a very large African-American man, about 6’4″ and I would guess around 400 lbs, who was “sprinting” for all he was worth. But what really got my attention aside from his heft was his entourage. He was being escorted by five very fit and trim military-looking types who had apparently run the course with them. I have no idea who they were, but my first thought was that they were some kind of medical support crew that race organizers had arranged to have run with him.<\/p>\n
I’m all for people losing weight, achieving their goals and getting a fresh start, but the whole scene struck me as a little reckless, especially with all the heat and humidity that morning. But I sincerely hope he uses his finish to go on to even greater things (like a 150 lb weight loss).<\/p>\n
When the gun went off, it took us a couple of minutes to weave our way through the mass and really get going. Number One finished first, and then Number Two with me bearing down on him at the finish. We were all pretty slow, but it was fun and satisfying. And there was pizza and ice cream at the finish.<\/p>\n
Where was Number Three you ask?<\/p>\n
Sleeping in.\n<\/p>\n
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