This past Friday I got to participate in a unique event known as the Palo Alto Moonlight Run. Armed with my BofA statement that "proved" I registered, I approached the registration line with trepidation. You see my statement says that I paid for "Weekly Almanac", whereas my running/driving partner wuboy has a more legitimate printout.

Regardless I received my bib and sweatshirt for the event. For the next plus hour I am bib #886. But no doubt there is an electricity buzzing about in the air as runners of all age groups, shapes, and dress styles were stretching, running, and just ooh-ing and aah-ing in the middle of a baseball field. God does love variety, even when it comes to runners. As I walk around all these people, I wonder to myself if I was a parent would I be worry for my children among this chaos, getting ready to run.

However chaotic it was the group of us who were running eventually found each other. We all were excited. For some of us this is a first...for others its getting back into running after a brief hiatus. But for the majority of us we were riding the wave of excitements—people talking, an emcee leading stretching exercises, people standing in lines at the porta-potty. We (the official AND unofficial runners) are here with a common purpose...to cross that finish line!!!

It was at the porta-potty where I met Donna, a graduate student from USC (MPH program) running by herself!

Some brief memory of my run...

+ Running is highly social. Soon after our run groups were forming. Most are running buddies. In front of us (wuboy & me) were two guys wearing their investment banking tee-shirt. Next to us were these groups of Stanford girls (they look like cross country runners). On the rare occasion we do run into the lone runner—the guy with the "Uncle Sam" hat. Two older women who seemed quite attached to each other by their closeness and protectiveness as wuboy and myself tried to pass them up. Parents running with their kids or pushing strollers...what an inspiration.

+ Anything that reflects light adds to the surreal-ness (?) of running in the moonlight—reflective jacket, reflective shoes, glow in the dark shirts, glow-stick, flashlights, shoe-strobers, headlamps...it was visually stimulating to say the least.

+ Impromptu screaming of obstacles. "Pole! Pole!" "Sign! Sign!" AND from wuboy "Bridge" haha.

The Finish Line

After 58:21 and 10K ((official result) I finally crossed the finish line. I mosied over to greet Andy and we both congratulated each other. About twenty minutes later I noticed Donna crossing the finish line and I yelled to encourage and congratulate her.

If the Silicon Valley Marathon is anything like the Palo Alto Moolight Run (minus the moonlight) then I am already looking forward to it. I hope the crowd will be just as energetic and diverse.

Congratulations to Kat Sharline Viv Seth Wuboy Jen!!!!! Can I get a WOOT WOOT!!!