Event 39 in the 50@50 Project found us in the quaint little town of Aurora, OR for the Aurora Colony Days 5k. It was an early run - fine with me! Get 'er done and get home for Shark Week on the Discovery Channel - that was my plan. Of course, I sold it to Camera Crew as 'get 'er done, get home to do her laundry'. It worked! The race was slated to begin at 7:30; we arrived a little after 7 = perfect timing.
Aurora was founded in 1856 as a sort of commune. Originally called Aurora Colony, it was named after the daughter of its founder, Wilhelm Keil. For the record, her name was 'Aurora', not 'Colony'. Read all about the history of this Oregon gem (the colony, not the daughter) at www.oregonencyclopedia.org/entry/view/aurora/ Or, hell, just head south on I-5 and visit, fer cryin' out loud. Read all the historical markers around town! Visit one of the many antique shops! Dine at at the minimart/gas station deli! Okay, kidding about the last one. Seriously, a cool little town!
After checking in and saying hello to the Huber Timing team, we were reviewing the course map and getting oriented when the race director, Shari, came up to us and explained it all! "Hi, do you need some help?" "Oh, wait - you're holding the map all wrong!" She was very helpful and sweet, actually. Then she surprised us by saying "Wait a sec - you're that guy who's doing the 50 events this year!"
I'M FAMOUS!!
Okay, okay - I'm sure a little bird named Heather mentioned it to her. But still - it was pretty awesome.
The crowd gathered and everyone was excited. It was another of the cool neighborhood-y events, where everyone knows everyone. People were...
I love you!
Aw, see - I let Camera Crew have access to my blog and she leaves me little notes. She's a keeper.
Anyhoo, people were chatting and visiting, having a good ol' time. Entire families were out to do the race together. Some were splitting up, with adults doing one of the longer distances (5k or 10k) and the little ones waiting for the kids race. It was a charming scene. Alas, these moments are typically ruined by the air horn signifying the start of the run.
The race started in the historical district and the route took us through some of the older neighborhoods in Aurora. There are some neat old homes here! We went past a school and a sizable park, running two laps to make up our 3.1 miles. It was a great event, well done by the organizers. The course was well marked and even if it wasn't, there were volunteers at every turn pointing the way. We finished up in very respectable times, best times we've had in a while, actually. We hung out at the finish, cheering on the other finishers and soaking up the community feel of Aurora. It was pretty fantastic. We also watched the kids race, which is always a blast.
After a bit, we wandered across the road to tour the antique vendors lining the street for the weekend festivities. Plenty of cool stuff but nothing we urgently needed! We hopped in the SUV and drove up the road (and then back a bit, cuz we missed it the first time) to the White Rabbit Bakery. I had coffee, Camera Crew had tea and we shared some delicious pastries. Check out their website at www.whiterabbitbakery.com - it says the website is under construction but most pages loaded.
We left Aurora and decided to take the back roads home. This was a wise decision because... we found the Pudding River yet again! So we did another commercial for a sponsor. This makes them very happy and keeps us rolling in pudding. Sexy, huh?
I love you!
Aw, see - I let Camera Crew have access to my blog and she leaves me little notes. She's a keeper.
Anyhoo, people were chatting and visiting, having a good ol' time. Entire families were out to do the race together. Some were splitting up, with adults doing one of the longer distances (5k or 10k) and the little ones waiting for the kids race. It was a charming scene. Alas, these moments are typically ruined by the air horn signifying the start of the run.
The race started in the historical district and the route took us through some of the older neighborhoods in Aurora. There are some neat old homes here! We went past a school and a sizable park, running two laps to make up our 3.1 miles. It was a great event, well done by the organizers. The course was well marked and even if it wasn't, there were volunteers at every turn pointing the way. We finished up in very respectable times, best times we've had in a while, actually. We hung out at the finish, cheering on the other finishers and soaking up the community feel of Aurora. It was pretty fantastic. We also watched the kids race, which is always a blast.
After a bit, we wandered across the road to tour the antique vendors lining the street for the weekend festivities. Plenty of cool stuff but nothing we urgently needed! We hopped in the SUV and drove up the road (and then back a bit, cuz we missed it the first time) to the White Rabbit Bakery. I had coffee, Camera Crew had tea and we shared some delicious pastries. Check out their website at www.whiterabbitbakery.com - it says the website is under construction but most pages loaded.
We left Aurora and decided to take the back roads home. This was a wise decision because... we found the Pudding River yet again! So we did another commercial for a sponsor. This makes them very happy and keeps us rolling in pudding. Sexy, huh?
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