Almaguer Marathon Running Team

Well, Dora and I signed up for the Miracle Marathon Run again this year. I was training for it about four months ago and then other things came up and I really, really slacked up on the training. Soooooo, I started training again about two weeks before the run..... Anyways, the day came up and I was there at 0700 am ready to run. It was nice and chilly but I saw two other friend there who were running as a team too. Elfida dropped me off at the starting line and then drove off to take pictures of me running. The run started off well. We ran towards the Baylor area and than back to the original starting area. This made the rest of the run easier because I started to count only the miles after leaving the starting area the second time. At about the sixth mile I hit the my zone. I was running good, not tired and breathing easy. Everything was crystal clear and I thought about all these great thing I was going to write in my blog about running. As I crossed the intersections being controlled by the police officers I would greet the officers working them. It made the time go by quicker. I came up on the midway point and didn't feel like I had run 13 miles. I was feeling good.
Elfida, Dora and Isabelle were waiting for me there. I transfered the chip to Dora and she was off and running. I crossed the street to where Elfida and Isabelle were waiting. Isabelle was laying on the grass. She had a McDonald's biscuit for me. I couldn't eat it since I didn't have anything to drink.
We drove to the area by the soccer fields and waited for Dora. While there I heard someone call my name. There was this tall man and a young girl manning the drinks and snacks there. I took some pictures and then this man asked me if I remembered him. I went and shook his hand and told him no. Well, It was Brin Chandler, one of the kids, I had coached in soccer. He was one of the best goalies I ever coached. He was tall, way taller than me! I guess I still pictured his as the 14 year old kid tending goal, not as a tall grown up man. It was great to see him again.
Dora arrived and she was in high spirits. She came off the dam running strong. Last year I ran the second leg of the marathon which allowed me to run through the finish line. This year Dora would get to go through the finish line.
We then went to the MCC area to wait on Dora. While there Elfida and Isabelle decided to have an up hill race. By now the morning was perfect, cool, sunny, and dry. Racing Elfida got Isabelle in a running mood.
When Dora arrived, Isabelle decided to run with her. I thought she would run for a block and then turn back. Dora had a good pace going as she crossed the 20 mile marker, which was her 7th mile. Isabelle stayed after her. I watched her run and then had to take off after her. She just kept chasing Dora. She ran about a half mile. I couldn't catch up to her. I finally yelled at her to come back. Dora hear me and realized that Isabelle was behind her. She told Isabelle to run back to her grandpa. Boy, my legs had cooled down and were already stiff. Running after Isabelle was painful. When Isabelle came back to me she wasn't even breathing hard. Ah, to be young again.

We drove back to the suspension bridge and waited for Dora. I waited at the middle of the bridge and then ran with her up to the finish line. She was still running strong. The morning had been perfect for running. This was our second marathon as the Almaguer Team. Neither Dora nor I were very athletic when we were young. Dora started long distance running years before I did. In fact, the first 10 K run I ran, I ran because Dora signed me up for it. It was the Friendship Day run in Eagle Pass, about 12 years ago. In fact that was the only 10 K I have ever run. Done lots of 5 K runs though....
Elfida got this shot of Dora as she neared the finish line.
And here is her actual or our actual time. It was better that last years. This year they had fried chicken for the runners at the finish line. Can you believe that!!! Fried Chicken!!! Yeah, boxes, and boxes of Bush's Fried Chicken!!! Greased fried chicken!!!

Man, I ate six pieces!!! Oh, it was sooooo good!!! That was the best part of the day. Hey Carlos, eat your heart out!!! Free Bush's Chicken. I bet they don't have free Bush's Chicken in Okinawa!!!
These is Roy, John, me and Dora. Roy and John ran as a relay team also. They came ahead of us by about 3 minutes. Roy and John came in first place in there age group and Dora and I came in fifth place in our age group. All in all it was a great day. Elfida took some great pictures and Isabelle got to see her granpa and her aunt run a marathon.
And all those great things I though about while running.... well, they all disappeared along with the pain in my legs. Oh well, next weekend I will be running the 5 K Leatherneck run. Oh yeah!