28 Mins Run (Race) Brian Diemer 5K

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- This was the Brian Diemer 5K and it was awesome...Steve and Erin's first race! What a great time. Lost 'em at the start (lots, lots, lots of runners out there) but found them quick and set off down the main drag. Around the first turn/first mile, we got a split and picked up the pace a touch.

We plowed through the next mile -- but where was Mile 2? There was no marker. Everything in me was saying we must have passed well beyond the 2 marker, but I hadn't seen it. Weird because the 1 had a guy, was well marked, etc. Seemed too big of a race to skip it. I was a bit worried about this kind of foolishness breaking Stevo mentally, because he was giving this course a great go...and when you don't see that sweet marker, it can be a killer. BUT, Steve and Erin had the good sense and respect for the game to take a look at the course first with a map...so he knew where 2 was already. Impressive. I knew we'd break 30, which was Steve's basic goal, but after we made the turn back to the main strip he picked up the pace a touch more. He smoked the last stretch seeing the finish just up ahead. Then the clock came into view...it was in the low 28s! I was flippin pumped. With the chip time bound to take a heap of seconds off for us, the time was sure to be under 29. Turns out he got a 28:15, me a 28:23. They even said the "Steve Flash Davis" as he crossed and thanked me for bringing Cali sunshine to the day (it was an absolutely clear, sunny day BTW). So the only question was how our breaking off had affected Erin, who usually ran with Steve. No bother, she said, finishing right on our tails at 28:30. No biggie.

What an incredible day...especially after pounds of Mexican food, 13 choco cookies from McDs, a 3 mile walk and other assorted hullabaloo. Best.