Today's walk organised walk (run for most people) is an annual event supporting the Yellow Ribbon Project which brings awareness and acceptance of reintegrating ex-offenders into society. I like to walk an event with purpose and I support what this organisation is doing. We also finish the race in Singapore's Changi Prison and get a medal....wish is the carrot at the end of the stick. One rule I've adhered to is to not drink alcohol the night before a race, be it a 10km like today's event or a half marathon at 21km. It was my birthday yesterday so that non-drinking concept went out the window with the consumption of a large quantity of frozen Margaritas. Ole!
At today's event, I walked with my sweetheart at his slower pace. I actually enjoyed myself as I switched from aiming at a fast time and seeing how many runners I could pass walking to enjoying the company and noticing my surroundings. there was even time for shadow photography.
Race events have been part of my life for the past 25 years and as I look back
I realise it was my brother who started me walking. Work had consumed me and I was very unfit. Brother Martin would walk me through Parks, along bush tracks and around sports fields. I remember tripping on a tree root once and was told the sound of me falling was like a bag of cement being dropped. Sadly I had to agree. Funny the events that are stuck in my head. The cement sound is one of then.