Officially Unpacked

We're back from the Killer Fun Weekend and a week spent camping. Now that the photos have been downloaded from the camera I can consider myself officially unpacked.

Before I show you what we've been up to lately I want to say I stand corrected on a few facts listed in a post I did a few weeks ago. The Achilles Track Club is not solely for wounded soldiers. They are a non-profit organization that encourages disabled runners to participate in long-distance running events with the general public. Some of the wounded soldiers that competed last Sunday were from Walter Reed Army Medical Center are are called the Achilles FREEDOM TEAM of Wounded Veterans. From the site: The Achilles FREEDOM TEAM of Wounded Veterans introduces recently wounded soldiers from the war in Iraq and Afghanistan to running......the program provides motivation, training, and the opportunity to rebuild strength and endurance while healing through distance running events.

Now that's cleared up, many thanks to those who donated.
(Donations can still be made here.)

We left the house at 6:30am so we could set up the team area. And by set up, I mean we found a place to stand so the rest of the team could meet up with us. This is what the morning looked like in Central Park:

Then the team leader, my husband, collected the team sign from one of the volunteers. Then he very officially stood with the sign so the team could find us.

Next, he left with the team to do the running stuff while I took the kids and went with my friend Liz to stand by the finish line to cheer the runners on. That's where I spotted Mr. Met and Mr. G, our local weatherman. He doesn't normally make that face when he's doing the weather forecast.

The first participants to cross the finish line were those with hand-crank bikes.

I love this photo. The look on her face says it all.

Then the abled runners started crossing the finish line.

And here's Martin. He is John's friend and Liz's husband. He's German and our kids say his name with a German accent for some reason.

Look! It's John! And Tom! Go boys! Run!(Edited to add that in the photo above, Lorea,

another TD Foundation team runner

is about to cross the finish line with Tom and John.)

Five miles, people. Five. Miles.

And here is Trisha Meili, The Central Park Jogger, cheering on one of the participants as they crossed the finish line.

It was an inspiring morning.

More photos of The Fun tomorrow!