Results from the Billy Run

Someone said it was 30 degrees this morning when we gathered for the Wounded Warrior 5K.  All I know is...it was COLD!  But it was fun, and it went really well.  I just wish I brought some gloves.  :-)

There were eight of us at the race...

• Runners:  Bobby, Michelle, and Molly (flew in last night from San Antonio, TX)
• Walkers:  Adrienne and Kelsey 
• Cheering Squad:  Aunt Robin and Uncle Tom (Robin is my mom's sister, and the creator of the BILLY'S BRIGADE t-shirts), and Blair (Bobby's wife, and our photographer)

The course was tough, but fun.  Lots of 5Ks (3.1 miles) are done on the road.  This one was in the woods.  It reminded me of cross country races in high school, complete with mud banks and a water hole!  The race started down a fairly steep incline.  Less than 300 yards beyond the start line, runners had to funnel onto a 2 1/2-foot-wide bridge on the right side of the water hole.  The bridge was too narrow for the mass of runners.  It was like shoving cattle through a cattle chute, or like traffic in DC on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving:  everyone got stuck.  Knowing the clock was ticking, I decided not to wait.  Fording the water hole only cost me one wet shoe and some mud on my running clothes.  And it was fun!

Bobby finished very well.  It was his first 5K, and he finished in 22:54 (7:23/mile, an excellent pace!)

I received a text after the race that made me laugh.  "Did you win?  LOL"  (Very funny, Rachel!)  I think the winner finished a little over 17 minutes, much faster than my 27:06 (an 8:45/mile pace).  It's "slow" for me, but considering the hilly course, I'm satisfied.  Besides, the race was about Billy, and I thought about him the whole way.  Throughout the race, bystanders kept cheering for some guy named Will--which made me think about Billy even more.

It was really fun to gather family and friends to do something fun in honor of Billy.  I'd definitely do it again.  I still want to run a marathon someday.  :-)

The Runners and Walkers. From left:  Michelle, Molly, Bobby, Adrienne, and Kelsey

Pre-Race Ceremony

Bobby's Game Face

And we're off!

Bobby, enjoying a brief section of road. (Most of the race was on grass and trails and lots of hills.)

Hills...

Molly coming in for a strong finish.

Bobby, catching his breath.

Kelsey and Adrienne

Blair (our photographer) and Robert ("Bobby") McCotter

It was a blast! From left:  Michelle, Molly, Bobby, Adrienne, and Kelsey (across the front)

How's Billy Today?
He's currently watching the Patriots play the Colts.  He took a walk this morning, and napped quite a bit.  He's still feeling the pinch, but he's feeling it less today than he has been the past week or so.  (Yeah!)  As has been our custom, we're going to watch a movie tonight.  It's a routine we've gotten into, and the time spent together is something Billy looks forward to.

Ways to Pray

• For the blockage in Billy's intestines to clear up
• For the God to heal the ileus (intestinal obstruction) in Billy's intestines
• For Billy's stomach to start processing food and his body to absorb the nutrients it needs
• For fun, laughter, and new memories that make us smile