MLB ALL-STAR GAME WEEKEND RACE REPORT

THE BEST WEEKEND A DAD CAN EVER HAVE.

We have a tradition in our family, every summer we go to St. Louis for an extended weekend. The 3 or 4 days usually consists of a trip to the zoo, to the science center, to Grant's Farm, and staying with Ted and Shelley.

This year we had to modify those plans, without any complaints, due to the MLB All-Star Game being in town. We did the usual dinner with our good friends, took our kids and theirs to Grant's Farm (only to have to come home early due to a huge STORM), and let the kids play together for two days.

There were, this year, some other highlights. First off, I ran in the All-Star Game Charity 5K. I had signed up for the race 2 months ago and every intention of running and trying to get my first PR in my new age group. My plans changed upon my arrival in St. Louis when Ted (the husband of my wife's college volleyball teammate....and I must say a real good guy) said he would like to run the race with me. Mind you Ted is not a runner, has not been training for a race, and had not run an actual 5K since high school. I was pumped to have someone to run with (it happens so seldom), so I had to change my plans. No longer was I running for a PR, I was running with a friend to get him to the finish line in good shape and wanting to run again.

To start off, the race was the first EVER All-Star 5K and from what was told to us at the start it is going to be an annual thing. This race had 8,000+ participants. We lined up in the middle of the pack and waited for the starting gun. MLB did it up right with the Masters of Ceremony: Lou Brock, Rollie Fingers, Shawn Johnson (Olympic gymnastic gold medalist), and Michael Milken. After a great singing of the National Anthem and the notification that Shawn Johnson and Gov. Nixon of MO would be running with us, we were off.

The race started right out Busch Stadium decorated in all of its All-Star Game regalia. After a tight squeeze through the starting gate we were off and running getting fist bumps from Fredbird, the Nationals mascot, and the Houston Astro's mascot. We run at a very comfortable 10:00 minute pace. I really felt very good and had to stop myself from getting to anxious, I made a commitment to run with Ted. We made it to the first mile marker with little issues, Ted was running comfortably but was really saying little after the first half mile. That being said, he was doing much better than this college kid who was running next to us who lost his breakfast, or late-night liquid dinner while trying to hold it in with his hands....without success.

As I was enjoying the sites of St. Louis (and doing so verbally), Ted was saying very little - in fact he apologized to me for not talking that much for the rest of the race - and I decided to just talk about things that would help Ted finish the race. We got to the mile and half marker and the leaders were passing beside us on their last 3/4ths of a mile. That kind of gave Ted a mental pick-me-up and we chugged along to the 2 mile marker. At this point Ted did finally talk saying 'Thank God, I thought we were coming on the 1 mile marker' - he apparently missed the 1 mile marker. We weaved our way through St. Louis, and came to the left turn towards the finish line. At that point I told Ted he had to start running fast, he had to finish strong. He did.....I came in right behind him....making sure he could have the picture all to himself. We finished in a very respectable 32:02. For someone not training at all for a race, not running at all, not even knowing until the day before the race that he was going to run.

I got to have a race I have never had. I got to run with someone. I got to experience the race without pain, without a goal time, and at a pace where I got to see all of my surroundings. More importantly, I got to run as a support person for a friend running for the first time.

This was the best race I have run in a very long time. Not just for the pageantry of the MLB All-Star Game, not just because some of my childhood heroes were there shaking hands and giving encouragement, and not just because it was just a beautiful day for a run. I also got the opportunity to just SLOW DOWN and enjoy the moment, enjoy the feeling of gratification of finishing a race that Ted had, and running with 8,000 happy people.

Thanks Ted for such a great experience.

Tomorrow I will share how the kindness of a stranger gave me, my wife, and my boys the experience of a lifetime.