Really happy my old man, Mark, dragged me to the Firecracker Fast 5K this morning. One of the bigger 5Ks in Arkansas, with a rich history, this year's race was the 36th annual running. Two things are fairly unique about this race. First, with the exception of a half-mile climb during Mile 3 near the Little Rock Zoo, this race is almost entirely downhill, hence the name, Firecracker "Fast" 5K. The second unique feature is the awards. Because of the size of the field (nearly 1500 runners), only the first 100 males and first 100 females receive trophies shaped like afirecracker (or piece of dynamite on a trophy base!). No age groups. I am very proud of my Dad for his final kick, which placed him 96th overall, good enough for a top 100 firecracker trophy! He ran 21:00 even (6:47), and I came in at 17:19 (5:35) for 13th overall. After the race, we ran the course in reverse, uphill, for a three-mile cool-down. So, including my two-mile warm-up, I got in 8.1 Total Miles. Finally, Dad and I topped off our morning with a great breakfast at the home of a coworker who lives nearby the race start. All the Entergy runners were in attendance, and we very much enjoyed ourselves as we stuffed our faces with fresh fruit and avocado, eggs, bacon, and cinnamon bread. Happy 4th to all. Eat a hot dog! And don't feel guilty about it! Wesley | 