These are some of the great new friends I made 80 miles from home at the Steve Garon Memorial 5k on July 25th. Starting at the top and going clockwise. Chris (a firefighter having worked aside of Steve) and his son Zach. They are not only father and son, I could tell they were best friends and shared many interests in life that kept them doing things together and enjoying each other's company.

John and I first met at the starting line just before the race began. Everybody seemed to be asking him questions about the course, as did I, since he seemed to be used to the route I was about to run. He was able to give me some good tips. Mindy I met during the final 3/4 of a mile. She also new John. I know this because John was coming up the same last hill, at the same time, as Mindy and myself. You should know that I had to catch up to the both of them to join in the conversation. That should tell you that a woman pushing a stroller was kicking my butt. We ascended the final hill together, finished the race and got to finish our conversation. Please note that Mindy's passenger does the same thing I do when someone else is driving!!!

Then I got to re-meet Jim and Mike. They, too, are a father son team that I got to meet about a quarter mile into the race. They were talking to each other as we went. I moved ahead of them a short time later and about at the half way point one of them went floating by me as if on roller skates. I am not going to tell you which one, because, I still love the fact that running is one of the sports where you can look at a father and son at the beginning of a race and not know which one will finish first.

It's people like these folks who help me find, and become part of, the reason I love to run these races. "Thank You" for helping make my day a fantastic memory.