The Adams Family Road Race 2012

 Lining Up for the 2012 Adams Family Road Race on June 16

Every year in June my crazy family gathers together near Colchester, CT to run a three mile road race on our old cross-country course from high school. My three brothers and my younger sister and I all ran cross-country for Bacon Academy as we made our way through the upper grades. I am second oldest of the siblings but it is my middle brother, Stephen, who came up with this great idea over 15 years ago. He thought it would be a great way to help motivate us to keep in shape as we grew older. I must admit that he and some of my siblings take it way more seriously than I do, but it is a fun way to get the family all together and start the next generation on the path to a healthy life style and hopefully to develop a love of running in some of them.

 My sister-in-law, Lori, holds the stopwatch.

 

 And we are OFF!

 Run, family, RUN!

Behind the crowd stands my Mom, who survived a fight with breast cancer this year.

 No one is too young to run!

 While Gus waits for the first runner to appear he photographs the lake.

 Here comes my nephew, Bernie!

He is burning up the road and is the first runner to cross the finish line!

 

My youngest brother is next! Not bad for an older guy (older than the grandkids, nephews and nieces, but younger than the rest of us)!

 

Brother Stephen is fighting a leg injury.

 

Still, he comes in third, though he would have loved to beat his younger brother!

 

Now here comes my younger sister, the marathoner!

 

This is my niece with her boyfriend and her dog. They are so light on their feet they barely touch the ground! Gus, how did you manage to get this shot!

 

Brother-in-law, Tony!

 

Big Brother, Rick (he’s married to Lori)

 

Big B runs for the finish line!

 

My grandson, Trey! Yay!

 

My great niece with her Uncle C running alongside to encourage her.

 

My niece and her son sprint for the finish line! Yes, he ran the whole 3 miles!

 

Here I come…finally! C runs back to encourage me also.

 

It’s a slow jog and hard work, but I made it!

 

And I wasn’t last either! Here comes my new daughter-in-law, Melissa and my granddaughter, Brooklyn!

 

Now it’s time to splash and play…

 

in the beautiful lake we all just ran 3/4 of the way around!

 

My dear friend, Linda and my brother Stephen.

 

My niece and her dog.

 

Papa with the newest member of the family!

 

Chris and Melissa sort of eloped in January so we are celebrating their wedding now! Congratulations kids!

 

 The impromptu cake!

 And the matriarch of the Adams Family watches over it all.

She is the REAL champion!

 This is just part of the motley crew that is my family that I love.

This is the only bird I photographed today. I think it is a young Canada Goose but it looks an awful lot like Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster, don’t you think? Still, I heard Wood Thrushes as I walked/jogged around the lake. I saw robins, cardinals and chipping sparrows. Here at the beach I saw and heard song sparrows, blackbirds and chimney swifts. I just can’t help myself. I always notice and count the birds! I had a fun week with my son and his family, but now they have returned to Maine and I am once again playing catch-up! There will be more family and birding adventures posting here soon!