For the second time Kid 1 entered the Family Fun Run/Walk portion of the Dole Great Race of Agoura Hills. This race day also includes two half-marathons (different routes), a 10K and a 5K, and a Kids’ competitive 1-mile race. Kid 1 is old enough to enter that but like me he has no interest in running. I sometimes decide I’m going to start running to get some exercise, and I am successful at the starting part, but then I remember that I hate running, and I slow to a nice brisk walk which is much more my style.

This year I entered the run/walk with him, so on a nice chilly Saturday morning in March, off we went with the rest of our family to Chumash park, which is normally a wide expanse of green where club sports like football and lacrosse have their practices or games, or people walk their dogs, or families cavort and frolic. But on this day thousands of people descend upon our sleepy little town and the park is festooned with business booths, inflatables, and the cool blow-up finish line that makes even the leisure walker feel like a champion when crossing.

The mile walk was an easy stroll around the neighborhood, where residents sat in their front yards with their young children, cheering us on. We ran the last, oh say 40 yards, which made us look pretty badass when crossing the finish line.

Kid 2 was pretty much only there to play on the bouncy things, but by the time he was ready to play the lines were really long. He waited patiently for his turn, and then made it worth his while by disappearing into the nether regions of a huge bouncy play structure and not surfacing until at least 10 minutes later.

Both Kid 1 and I received large metal medals for our meager efforts. I guess you get what you pay for, because even the family fun run/walk cost $25 to enter. The entire event raises money for LVUSD schools, so it seems worth it.

Here are more pictures taken by Agoura Hills Dad with an iPhone: