Today was a Run for Dori

I am sitting here with Dori in her hospital room on July 4. Still seems surreal, even 19 days after she checked in to VUMC.

Dori, once again, is in good spirits. The kids are at the pool with my Dad and Peggy, my nice step-mom (she jokingly calls herself "wicked stepmother," which she most certainly is not). Dori noticed her hair is beginning to fall out (I noticed yesterday), and her bruises are more prevalent since her platelets are so low. We are eagerly awaiting biopsy results (Dori was told this morning it won't be today). Our plan is to watch more of The Office today, and I will bring the kids down here at 8 p.m. so we can watch fireworks from the 11th floor.

This morning, I ran the Firecracker 5K in Maryland Farms with friend Michael Kohl. My time was 24:10, a 7:47 pace. Not bad, not great. It was muggy (70% humidity) and 72 degrees. I didn't sleep much last night, for obvious reasons, so I was not feeling the freshest.

I was drenched by the first mile marker. A new iPod mix helped and I found a few folks who were cruising at the same pace. The course is mostly flat, though there is a decent hill toward the end. One teenage girl, at around 4K, projectile vomited right in front of me. She just missed getting me.

I started feeling the run at around 2.5 miles, but welcomed Mr. Pain along for the ride and thought of Dori. It made time pass quickly. 5K is such a short run, when you've been running 8 or 10 miles. You just make your body stay in form because you know you won't have to for much longer.

I hope everyone has a wonderful 4th. We are fortunate to live in a great country, even with all the flaws and warts of our leaders and political system.

Jim