Once in a while I like to try something I've never done before. I figure that if I don't try new things before I'm dead that it will be much more difficult to attempt when I'm six feet under in a box without a shovel to dig myself out of a grave.
Yesterday's new thing was participating in the Meet Me Downtown 5k night run and walk. I've never had a lick of athletic ability so the run part was not going to happen, but I did take a crack at the walking part.
Heather, one of the hosts of the TV show, put together a little team of people from the show and TV station as well as a co-worker of her's from the Gaslight Theatre -- along with a few significant others. Heather arranged to get matching shirts made for all of us and we looked like a real team.
I've walked that far a few times in my life but it's been years. I'm not that far from 50 years old and figured there were a number of possibilities that would be the outcome of participating: I'd have a heart attack and die, I'd be so awesome that out of our group I'd be the only one that finished, a giant meteor would strike the event route and I'd be the only one there with a camera and get photos that I could sell for millions, or the most likely outcome would be that I would finish it pretty effortlessly (along with my teammates) and be able to say I did it. That's exactly what happened.
The side note for this -- is that yesterday was the first 100 degree day we've had in Tucson this year. It increased the difficulty level slightly but other than my legs being a little stiff in the last mile I did just fine and had no problems. It would have been more fun if a meteor had landed so I would have an epic story to tell, but it wasn't meant to be.
The complete set of photos that I shot can be seen by clicking
this link. Here are a few highlights:
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Start / finish line in front of the
Children's Museum Tucson
about an hour before the
Meet Me Downtown 5k
was scheduled to start |
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People getting massages.
Woman on the table on the left
looks like she was waiting
to be mounted. |
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Tucson's finest providing security
for the event across from the
San Carlos Apartments |
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Calm before the storm...
looking north on 6th Avenue |
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Lawn in front of the
Children's Museum Tucson |
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Cool sign on a 6th Avenue building
near Armory Park |
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| Food trucks |
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My teammates begin to arrive.
Tina, Brin, Alex, and Jacinda |
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Of course there's a beer garden
at a fitness related event. |
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The Morning Blend team assembles:
Brin, Alex, Tina, Jacinda,
Heather, Aaron, Summer |
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Alex chats with Daniela
of the Children's Museum Tucson |
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Participants of the kid's run line up
at the starting line |
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Children's Museum Tucson was one of
the beneficiaries of the funds raised
from the Meet Me Downtown 5k |
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The Educational Enrichment Foundation
was another beneficiary.
That's Randy Accetta of the Southern
Arizona Roadrunners in the
yellow hat. |
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The kid's run gets underway.
It was a one mile course and
if I could have gotten away with it
I would have participated
in that instead. |
 |
About 3000 runners and walkers
participated in this event.
Photo of the crowd as the
sun sets on a hot day. |
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Heather winks, everyone else
waits to get started |
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| We get in position |
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I brought up the rear of our team
so I could get a photo of
their rears. |
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Behind Greg, Heather, Summer and Aaron
one block into the course |
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Action photo of the participants
behind me.
In case you're wondering, they
all passed me shortly after this
photo was taken.
I'm slow. |
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A few folks in the downtown neighborhoods
sprayed people to keep them cool
as they went by. |
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Tucson Firefighters going by.
Yes, they also passed me.
I'm slow. |
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| Another squirter |
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| A squirter behind a fence |
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| Heather dances in the water |
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| I finally know where KY is made. |
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"Ugly But Honest"
That should be my slogan. |
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We made it one mile!
Woooooooooo! |
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Live music performed at various
locations throughout the course. |
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I tried one of these cups of water.
Best described as "warm" |
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Ken Carr Photo Art:
I call this "Four guys on a roof" |
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Tucson has drive thru liquor stores.
Here's one of them. |
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One block from finishing the 5k.
Wooooooooooooooooo! |
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Summer and Aaron lead the charge
to the finish line |
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If you pretend you're running at
the end of a 5k, will anyone
believe it? |
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Waiting for noodles
at a food truck |
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This food truck had a flat screen TV
showing sports.
In unrelated news, this guy is missing
a shirt and I was worried he'd catch
a cold in the chilly 95 degree
night air.
I asked him, he said he was ok.
I tried to be helpful. |
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Table in the beer garden.
Runners / walkers are apparently
a thirsty group of people. |
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Tina, Alex, Greg sitting on a chair,
and Heather pose for a photo |
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Team Morning Blend at the
Meet Me Downtown 5k Night Run and Walk
We did it!
Yaaaaaaaaaaaay! |
