If you know me at all you know Bloomsday is a really big deal for me. A really big deal. I have a streak going that I can't break. I love doing this race and it has become even more important to me since my ruptured brain aneurysm. A second chance at life each and every day. Hearing the Rocky theme as we all turn and see the finish line will never get old. Being able to do Bloomsday is a reminder of what I went through and how I was given the miracle of life.
I was interviewed earlier in the week for our local newspaper. I had no idea all this would be in the story. By the way, the ACL reconstruction did not keep me from crossing the finish line for the 36th time. It's Good to be Alive!
Sunday morning and it is raining. There was not supposed to be rain. I kept looking for blue sky as I got ready to go downtown.
Still raining so if I had to do it in the rain I would. I knew Sheila would feel the same.
I picked Sheila up so we could carpool to the race. Several buses passed by with Bloomsday Express flashing on the front. Lots of people take the bus and there are more buses on duty than there are normally.
Here we are! Riverfront Park and the might Spokane River!
I think if I had seen this guy on the way to get back to my car at the end of the race I would have hopped on. We ended up walking 10+ miles.
Want to ride your bike to Bloomsday? There is a place to keep it until you are done.
The crowds are filing by to get to their designated place to start.
There is lots of construction happening in Riverfront Park.
We are getting there. This man was telling us which line to get in.
I am not sure how many people completed the race this year but I know we usually have 40-50 thousand sign up. You would think it would be a big mess but it isn't. It is very organized. You start in waves.
We are in our section! You never now how long you will have to wait to start. Our start time was between 9:15 and 9:45. I think we were closer to 9:45. You can visit with strangers, take pictures and there is always a beach ball or two to bat around.
I didn't think I got my traditional helicopter picture but I did. It was far, far away so the picture is a bit blurry.
As you can see the skies have cleared and it is a beautiful day for a race.
Got the helicopter again sneaking around the corner.
Oh, this is just a small number of the people who do Bloomsday.
I can see the starting line up ahead.
Here we go!
Now this is a first.
Years ago they used to sell these paper thin jackets. He still has his.
The course narrows a bit here so we slow down some and there is not much room to do anything but go forward. You should be going forward anyway you know.
Around the curve ahead is the first small hill.
Now the sneaky hill. That's what I call it. You can't see the top of it so you think you are going to be done before you really are. Sneaky!
This is part of the sneaky hill.
It just keeps going!
Done but Doomsday Hill is just around the corner. 1 mile of up!
Doing fine! Didn't need to stop for any knee issues.
These paper cups get slippery.
There it is off in the distance. Doomsday Hill!
Getting closer!
We have arrived! Up we go! Sheila is leading the way.
The vulture always waits for you just on top of the hill, just in case.
We made it to the top! Whew, the worst is over but we still have 2.4 miles to go.
There's our river again.
Yep, you see anything and everything at the race.
Someone was having a birthday party.
My physical therapist told me to share this with Sheila. We should stop every place that there was food so I could rest me knee. Eat your way through Bloomsday. Didn't do it. We didn't want to take the time and I thought if I stopped walking my knee might not want to start again. Not only that it isn't like they are serving up good food for fuel.
The home stretch. I thought we must have missed the 7 mile marker. Sheila said she was pretty sure we hadn't arrived at 7 miles yet. She was right. Wishful thinking!
Rocky starts to play and you know you are almost done. It really does always tear me up a little. It is so good to be alive.
I got zero good pictures of the finish line. I could not see what I was taking a picture of. This is the best I got and it isn't very good.
The shirt. The shirt everyone will wear Monday to work or to school or just at home. You don't know the design or color ahead of time. We always see someone wearing it before we finish though. This race really is all about the shirt. You can't have it unless you finish.
Well, we couldn't resist!
The festivities after Bloomsday are usually in the park. This year they were spread out over the street because of the construction in the park.
Lots of green shirts. Green is not my favorite but I really like these shirts.
TADA! We did it, we crossed that finish line!
Now the hike back to the car!
More Spokane River pictures.
Everything is starting to bloom! We made it back to the car and needed something to eat besides ice cream. Spokane is so busy all of Bloomsday weekend. Sheila suggested Dolly's!
Good choice!
We even got our meal free because we had to wait a long time. It was crowded! That was a great!
Another Bloomsday complete! Another opportunity to thank God for saving me from something that I wasn't expected to survive. God had another plan and I am glad He did. I wish I could explain how that feels but I really can't. I will just keep trying to live a life well lived for God as Jason Gray says in It's Good to be Alive.
I did better than I thought I would. As of right now my knee is only moderately swollen and it doesn't hurt too much at all. Good news. Thanks Sheila for keeping me company again!
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