BLOOMSDAY IS BACK. Packet pick up time with a special guest, my daughter Katie! Always fun to have more company at Bloomsday. I have most of these shirts. Not the first three and then two others up there. Out of the 45 races I have done 40. That will all change on Sunday.
We met my Bloomsday partner at the trade show. This hat represented someone she knows.
Her friend works for Franz Bakery!
She is still wearing the hat and having fun. The trade show was a good time as usual. I got away with only spending 24 dollars on a water bottle. This water bottle turned out to the be the best. At the trade show we got an inquiry from Kristin. Can you register late at the trade show? OF COURSE! So we registered someone who had never done Bloomsday.
Layne's first Bloomsday and my 41st Bloomsday! How exciting to be there for Layne's first Bloomsday race.
Parked and ready to go!
We stopped a the memorial rock for Katie's friend. Jess Roskelley. A precious moment. Jess was a climber and died doing what he loved. Too young.
Layne loves getting her picture taken.
Making the long walk to the start line but you just have to have a picture by the Spokane River.
Meeting Sheila at this spot.
Layne and Katie started together in the orange group. Sheila and I were in the blue group.
Sweatshirts thrown in the tree are a Bloomcsday tradition. All clothing donated. Layne participated in the tradition and actually got the sweatshirt in the tree. That was always a challenge for me. Poor technique!
The beach ball bounce that isn't supposed to be a part of the start line but always is.
We are ready and no helicopter in sight. I always get a picture of the helicopter. Oh so disappointing!
Yippee, there is it, a speck in the sky but I got the helicopter.
We are off!
I was able to follow Layne and Katie on an app and I think Layne took off and separated from Katie somewhere before the first mile. She is a runner by the way. A good one.
I look at these people in the two mile picture and think they are all older. Weird. Oh wait, so am I. I am right where I should be. Ha!
We have completed one hill and now the next. This one is sneaky if a hill can be sneaky. You think you are at the top and then a few more steps and you see more hill.
A first. An accordion player Loved it.
We saw Susan Weber and family along the way. Thousands of people and we saw her. Susan taught school with us.
Doomsday Hill!!!! Almost a mile of uphill! I chugged up it as fast as I could and did pretty good!
The Spokane Indians Fish! Funniest mascot ever.
And the VULTURE! Always at the top of the Doomsday Hill!
This was fun. A hug screen playing YMCA toward the end of the course. A great distraction because you know the last 1/2 mile is way longer than the first 1/2 mile.
And we did it! We saw our friend Bonnie at the finish. A huge bonus was that Mike came down to Bloomsday to be there when I finished. He had a great big hug for me! That made me so happy.
Love these shirts!
Finishers. Layne finished in about 1 hour 12 minutes Katie in about 1 hour 51 minutes and Sheila and I in about 2 hours and 9 minutes.
I asked Layne if she would be doing Bloomsday next year and she said yes but she would train for it next time.
Maybe someday Layne will have completed 41 Bloomsday races. This could be the first of many. Next we need to recruit Lucy. I would have never thought I would have 41 Bloomsdays under my belt when I did #1. So glad to be there for #1 Layne. A great day!!!!!!!
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