Rain and fire trucks

Today started out less than ideal, but ended with a bang. The beginning of the run was pouring rain but was in the upper 50s so it wasn't really too bad. At least it wasn't a cold rain.

The roads were incredibly interesting with winding curves and trees and forests on both sides. Sights like these make the miles and hours just click on by without any effort. Mentally, today was cake. Actually, all of today was cake.

Speaking of cake...actually, I have nothing to follow that up, I just started thinking about cake. Did you know that my mom made all of the kids in my family their birthday cakes with no milk? And since that's the way we grew up with it, we still like our birthday cakes to be made without milk. It was because I was allergic (I mean deathly allergic) to milk until I was 18. Crazy story for another time...

34 miles of smooth rolling hills and minimal traffic.

10 miles away from Louisville it was sunny, and warm and humid and I was met by two runners, Brian and Bubba. It was great to have the company and their presence made the last 10 miles go by in a flash. Then we were met by three of the highschool cross country boys. They were really nice (and fast) kids and the last 2 miles were spent with them as well.

Soon after meeting up with the XC boys we came to an intersection that was blocked off by the police...FOR US! Then as we made our way through the intersection a police car turned on its lights and pulled in front of us. As we followed it, two fire trucks pulled in behind us.

Our whole parade was 3 police cars, two fire trucks, 6 runners and a baby jogger. It was really a lot of fun. As we rounded the curve to city hall I saw a crowd of people on the side of the road and they all started cheering! It was unbelievable. Mike and Betty Forster were the ones who organized all of that, and the activities for the next couple days while I'm in Louisville. They really did a great job.

As I stopped in front of city hall a news reporter jumped up and put a mic in my face and his first question was, "Why are you running?" Well, all I could think of was the part in Forrest Gump when he was asked the same question and he just said, "I just felt like running." But I held it together and gave a real answer...

After the reporter I met the mayor. He said a few words and gave me a key to the city.

WHAT???? A key to the city??


That's right. The key to Louisville, MS.

Across the street there was a church and the preschoolers had come out and were holding a sign that said, "Run Patrick Run," it was pretty cute so we took a couple pictures over there.

Afterward, we all came back to the Forsters where we had real Mississippi barbeque. Whoa. Good.

-- Patrick