What an inspiring event the GE 5k Road Race To Benefit The Petit Family Foundation turned out to be on July 19th. You need to take a little time to research both the reason for the race being started and the great help the Petit Foundation offers to those in need. I thought it ironic that me, Average Al, was headed to a town called Plainville to run a road race. If you don't quite "get it" now, don't worry, it will hit you eventually. However the day overall was neither average nor plain. Over 1300 runners and 100,s of walkers came to this event, in only it's 2nd year, to pay tribute to a woman and her two daughters that had their lives taken from them. Bill Petit (who lost these family members) and I became new friends race day. As I sat with him just after he crossed the finish line, (7 minutes ahead of his last years time) I could see the love and friendship people in his community shared with him. The day was family friendly, too. There was a bounce house for the kids, Ronald McDonald was at the starting line, a 5 foot ice cream cone was wandering around, and there was a race car on display. The sun was shining and the weather turned out beautiful. Then the other inspiring part of the day occurred. The 2nd picture here are the first 3 finishers in the 80-89 year old age division. And the winner of the catagory could have won 1st place in some of the younger age divisions. TAKES AWAY A LOT OF EXCUSES DOESN'T IT. With my Alaska to Florida run coming up, and with my renewed desire to help as many people as possible as part of my life's goal (I'm promising my daughter I'm living to at least 150) I can only say "THANK YOU" to these 80 plus folks for setting an inspirirng example for all to see. Put this race on your next years schedule.