Pumpkin Pacer 2016 Number 7 for Us

Well,he got me back.  I did the same thing to him last year!  Dodgers and Giants don't play well together.  

Sheila did a fine job on this picture.  No need to black out the SF on Dominic's hat.  Just don't put it in the picture.

And here we are! A quick picture before we headed back to the car for some warmth.  40ish degrees with a little breeze blowing.  One good thing was we went directly to the church and didn't get lost this year.  No trying to find the church this year.  It's more fun without the GPS but it worked.  No neon shirts this year.

8 little pumpkins on the shirts.  8 years of the Pumpkin Pacer and we have done 7 of them.

Hot Dog!

This traffic director was great fun to watch.  It was as if he were directing airplanes.  We were sitting in the car enjoying the show he put on.

Almost time so we emerged from the heated car!

The kids race first.  They are so darn cute and little.

Parents cheering them on and taking pictures.

Sneaky way to get a picture.  Take a picture while a family poses for someone else.

I am not taking a picture of the bag but there is a story behind the person holding the bag.  He is at a lot of races and always carries something.  Girl Scout cookies.  When Sheila and I encountered him at the St. Paddy's 5 miler I asked him one question and we spent the rest of the race with him and his buddy.  We didn't say hi this time.  We had our own friends to talk to. Nothing personal but I was curious what he was carrying this time.  Not curious enough to ask.

Not as many people this year.  Waiting, waiting, waiting.  We should just take off.

Waiting, waiting and it is getting colder.  We need to move.

Off we go without the crowd!

There they are waiting, waiting, waiting! Late start!

Our runner friends waited.  They started when they were supposed to which gave me a chance to get some pictures.  Actually, the race started late so that is why we took off.  I just happened to turn around to see if I could see one of them and what do you know! Kat!

Walked a bit and turned around again and Trish!

The fall colors are so pretty!

One mile down!

Nice decorations!

No picture with Bonnie and Sheila.  I had to stop to take my toe warmers out.  The darn things were bugging me.  I joined Bonnie and Sheila again just after this mile!

We are finished!

Dominic and Frank manning the finish line!

Frank really close up!

The after picture looks just as good as the before picture but now we are off to our traditional coffee and food!

Some coffee, good food and good conversation.  We solved the problems of the world.  Smiling!

This race is one of my favorites.  I love it because a bunch of my friends do it with me.  As Dominic says we travel in a pack.  It is always a beautiful fall day (thankful for no rain this year), there is a chill in the air and I know winter is just around the corner.  That means snow and skiing.

Bolder Boulder 10 K 2013

Ready, Set, Go!  Off to the event of a lifetime!

Keri drove her car to one of the shuttle pick up spots and we rode the shuttle to the BB.  We were dropped off just a few blocks from the start line.

 The elite runners started at 7 AM.  Then the rest of us took off according to the letters on our number.  I could not believe how right on they were with start times.  This group took off ahead of us.  Over 50,000 people in this event!

 Outfit of the day!

 The columns under the bridge were painted!  That's a first!

 The landscape was something to look at.  Beauty everywhere!

 Keri and I just hung out for a while.  Didn't even get in our start line until a couple of minutes before we needed to. We got to see various groups start the race.

 Good way to get in the pictures.  Run as fast as you can and get ahead of the pack.

 Lots of costumes just like Bloomsday.

 This guy started every leg with the DA DA DA DA DA DA Charge!

 This is another wave getting ready to go to the start line!

 Ah, yes!  Keri you look awesome.  Not so sure about these other guys!

 We are still hanging around waiting!  Lots of fun things/people to look at.

 These people are doing the same thing we are!  Hanging out!

 Security was everywhere, thankfully!

 HMMMM!

 Even the grandparents got into the act.  Perfect costumes for Memorial Day.

 The Marines were there challenging us to do a pull up or two.  This guy did a lot!

 Come on Keri lets do it!

 I could not even begin to pull myself up. Goal for next year is to be able to do a  pull up!

 Then I couldn't get off because I didn't want to just drop on my knee.  The Marines helped me.

 Thanks for serving!

 This was our group!  As you can see we still aren't lined up.

 As the music started to play Keri started to sing.  She has a beautiful voice but someone needs to tell her that is a water bottle and not a microphone.  I didn't want to burst her bubble.

 PC that is our group and we are making our way to the start line.

 Here he goes! Charge!

 The time on our tag said we would start at 9:13:30.  I took this picture when the  start gun went off.  Wow, talk about organized.

 Music everywhere!

 And costumes!

 The course was beautiful.

 Not sure if I could get Mike dressed up like this.  On second thought he was a cheerleader for Halloween.  I retract that, he would so do this.

 Check out the green violin.

 Rockin' out!

 This band had the best seat in the house.

 Most of the course was through the neighborhoods.

 A little bit of everything!

 Unfortunately, I have never been able to do a cartwheel.

 No backflip skills either.

 Elvis is in the house.  Elvis made his appearance at the Bolder Boulder.

 A little jump rope anyone?

 Kilts really?

 Interesting message on Mr. Kilt's shirt.  Look closely at the picture and you will see what he is really talking about.

 This one is for you Sheila.  Zumba.  Unfortunately, I didn't get a great shot but it is the thought that counts.

 Impressive!  This was Bolder Boulder number 35!

 The beer tent!

 The view from the cheap seats!

 Yes, oh yes a slip and slide!

 We have reached the summit of the event.  The elevation did bother me at all!

 I know!  Weird!

 Yes, Keri I added the picture of the clouds covering the sun.  It was a warm day and we were thankful for the clouds.

 There were cupcakes for all.  I wasn't fast enough to get a picture of the box of cupcakes so this lady eating one was good enough for me.

 Rock band from a distance.

 The home stretch!

 To the university.  Keri told me this was a very emotional moment for her last year.  We had a discussion about crying and I thought that I was OK.   I would not be emotional.  She sort of looked at me like RIGHT!  She knew what was around the corner!

 Yes, the tears came for both of us.  It was amazing feeling walking into this stadium that was filling up with cheering racers.

 Done, with the finish line and the crowd behind us! Cheering us on!

 No White Flags!

 Huge screen to watch all the finishers!

We walked into the field house to get our goodie bag.  Free beer!  Not for me but you can see from the empty boxes lots of people indulged.

 Bagel anyone?  I think I will!

 We headed back to the stadium to watch others finish.  The professional runners started last so we got to see them take off on the screen and finish in the stadium.

 The goodie bag fun of munchies.

 I used the panorama setting for the first time on my camera.  Not bad except for the black area that I didn't edit out.

 There was a tribute to the military branches at the end of the event.

 This is the first professional woman to enter the stadium.

 Running for the USA!

 This was for Boston!

 Skydivers from the various military branches landed in the stadium during the tribute! If that isn't emotional I don't know what is!

What a day!  It was so much fun to spend it with Keri.  She was right, this event was amazing and one you don't want to do alone.  Share the joy.  See you there next year with the EAOD!