What's in a name?

So I just participated in my first Sunshine Run, the annual 5K/10K run and walk sponsored by local mega-hospital, St. John's. It's funny, because the race doesn't even touch Sunshine Street, the event's namesake, but begins and ends at Hammons Field near downtown. I do hope next week's Kansas City Marathon is actually in Kansas City.

Not a lot to say about the race. It's a good time... lots of families and too-serious middle-aged men, as is Springfield's style. I ran the 6.2 miles in about 48 and a half minutes (I wasn't watching clock when I finished, I had to ask the old dude who blew by me 100 yards out). I ran the last three miles very hard... early in the race I got passed by a little kid (Tiny Tim) and a lumbering dude (Poofy Hair Boy), and made it my goal to pass them by the end. I did, just beating Poofy-Hair Boy at the end. I believe I might have overdone it, in light of my 26.2 miles next week. I still really have no idea how to pace myself, but now have the competetive juices flowing. Whatev.

A few other notes:
--Running and drinking water simulatneously is hard if it's not from a sport bottle.
--The nuns handing out water at the 2-mile marker was a nice touch
--Having the final 90 feet of the race go down the third-base line of Hammons Field was cool for a baseball geek like me

I'm gonna call it a post. Life outside the running is mostly okay, some bad, some good. On Friday Nichole and I will have been married five years, so that's awesome.

Oh yeah! I met my donation goal. YAY! Thank you so much to all of you who donated. I believe the list on my home page is updated. If not, do let me know and I'll put you up there.

Peace.

ML