10-04-2009, 01:07 PM
Well something unexpected occurred yesterday...
Story starts in September... One of the Soldiers asked me to walk with her in the Portland Half-Marathon that they are doing as a supplement here in Iraq. One of the units here is a National Guard Brigade out of Oregon and they organized it... It's on Sunday... 4 October...
I said no problem... I have no requirements to the boss on Sunday morning... I sign up, fill out the online registration and I'm in... then a few days later, she comes back and says it's actually on Saturday 3 October... well that is a different story... I have requirements I have to meet and there is no way I can do it on Saturday... Current Sit, Weather, Sensitive Items means I have to be in early and have it complete before the big man comes in...
So, it doesn't look like I'll be participating... then on Friday, my boss (the one who started it all)... says he'll get the old man to cancel the brief on Saturday... So, it looks like it's back on for Saturday morning...
On Friday night, we go to dinner to eat and pick up our race bibs... then we're off early... As I waiting, one of the organizer says there is a chance to win... so you'll get this, that and the other... He saw me shake my head not... and said, sure even you... and I laughed... Slow old fat man walking with the girls wasn't going to win anything...
we're getting up at 0330 to make sure we're over there for the 0430 safety brief... gaggle... then the long walk... 13.1 miles... I pushed the ladies and we had a good time... damn, they made us walk by our living quarters... it'd be so easy to just stop in... and collapse at the 12 mile mark... but we keep going...
Sneaky bastards didn't let us go straight in, we had to go around the block then into the gym... We crossed the finish line... Me in the lead of my group... we go over to the stands process in... get our t-shirt... submit our race times... and low and behold... I'm the first one in for the old man category... 45+... I almost burst out laughing... it was so unexpected... I get the commander's coin for excellence and my certificate saying I was #1...
It just goes to show you... most of life is just showing up... I showed up and walked away (well, after 13.1 miles, lets call it gimped away) with a my #1 showing for the day... I think the other old guys were disqualified because they left their pacemakers behind... LOL... Not too many of us geezers can say we won our category in a half marathon... Woo Hoo... Wooo Hooo...
Well that's my story of the day...
Jim von Krieg of Iraq
Story starts in September... One of the Soldiers asked me to walk with her in the Portland Half-Marathon that they are doing as a supplement here in Iraq. One of the units here is a National Guard Brigade out of Oregon and they organized it... It's on Sunday... 4 October...
I said no problem... I have no requirements to the boss on Sunday morning... I sign up, fill out the online registration and I'm in... then a few days later, she comes back and says it's actually on Saturday 3 October... well that is a different story... I have requirements I have to meet and there is no way I can do it on Saturday... Current Sit, Weather, Sensitive Items means I have to be in early and have it complete before the big man comes in...
So, it doesn't look like I'll be participating... then on Friday, my boss (the one who started it all)... says he'll get the old man to cancel the brief on Saturday... So, it looks like it's back on for Saturday morning...
On Friday night, we go to dinner to eat and pick up our race bibs... then we're off early... As I waiting, one of the organizer says there is a chance to win... so you'll get this, that and the other... He saw me shake my head not... and said, sure even you... and I laughed... Slow old fat man walking with the girls wasn't going to win anything...
we're getting up at 0330 to make sure we're over there for the 0430 safety brief... gaggle... then the long walk... 13.1 miles... I pushed the ladies and we had a good time... damn, they made us walk by our living quarters... it'd be so easy to just stop in... and collapse at the 12 mile mark... but we keep going...
Sneaky bastards didn't let us go straight in, we had to go around the block then into the gym... We crossed the finish line... Me in the lead of my group... we go over to the stands process in... get our t-shirt... submit our race times... and low and behold... I'm the first one in for the old man category... 45+... I almost burst out laughing... it was so unexpected... I get the commander's coin for excellence and my certificate saying I was #1...
It just goes to show you... most of life is just showing up... I showed up and walked away (well, after 13.1 miles, lets call it gimped away) with a my #1 showing for the day... I think the other old guys were disqualified because they left their pacemakers behind... LOL... Not too many of us geezers can say we won our category in a half marathon... Woo Hoo... Wooo Hooo...
Well that's my story of the day...
Jim von Krieg of Iraq
