06/07/2026
A few days my son, Austin, signed up himself, his daughter Miss G, and me for a 5k race. The event was to raise funds for a nonprofit honoring an HPD helicopter officer who died in a helicopter crash on duty a few years ago. It was the first year of the race in Cypress , Texas. There were 76 participants in the race (an auspicious number for year 250 for the USA) . It was held at an 876 acre new park in Cypress named "John Paul Landing" after Pope Paul. It's a great park for walking, running, fishing, etc.
My goals for the race were: 1) show up 2) finish 3) not come in last. I met all three goals. The bonus (which, truth be told, I thought would be fun to accomplish some time in my life) was that I came in first in my age group, males over 75! Before you get too impressed, it was not that hard. I was the only one in that category! Just another reminder that showing up is 80% (and sometimes 100%) of the job. I hope this little example may inspire you to do something you want to do, but might think you are tool old or too something to tackle.
As you can see from the video, I was no speed demon. My time was 41:14 for the 5k. I ran most of the way but did take some breaks where I just walked quickly. It does inspire me to run more often so next time I can beat that pace. Running with Austin and Miss G was another big reward for the day. Supporting a local nonprofit was another bonus. I think next year's attendance will be much bigger so my chance of a repeat win may not be in the cards
