Run, Joe, Run

At 4:00 yesterday afternoon, with rush hour in DC in full swing, I climbed in my car to make the 23 mile drive to Manassas. I got there about 90 minutes later. Anyone who lives or has lived in the DC area knows that is pretty much to be expected. Usually I wouldn't expose myself to the agony of Friday rush hour, but I was going to meet my brother for dinner. He lives in Upstate New York but was in the area to run a 50 mile race today. Yes. Fifty miles.

It's funny; he wasn't really an athlete in school. Maybe he played on the golf team, but that was about it. Somewhere along the line he started running and he's been running ever since.

The race started at 6:30 this morning, so by the time my parents and I climbed in the car to meet up with him at the 21 mile marker he'd already been running for 3 hours. We met up with him at Bull Run Marina. As I watched the runners before him come through I was surprised at how happy they all were. It was a trail run, so they'd been running along the Occoquan River for most of the way.

Joe arrived right on schedule with a smile on his face. He told us of the beautiful field of bluebells he'd run through as well as the firing range he felt was just a bit too close for comfort. He stopped to chat for just a few minutes and then he was off again, he ran down a quick hill and disappeared into the woods with a content look on his face.