The Awake the Lake .5K

My good friend Jennifer got to take part in this fun event yesterday, the Awake the Lake .5K. I usually don't work on Sundays, but yesterday I broke my own rule, so I asked Jennifer to take a few pictures for the blog since I couldn't go myself. The event was created to benefit Palmer Lake, which is situated in a pretty little town of the same name, just north of Colorado Springs. The lake is an interesting part of our region's history, tied in to the railroads, and in recent years it had gone dry (believe me, it looked depressing in that state!). Lately, however, it's full of water again, thanks to the efforts of Palmer Lake residents. The .5K (yes, that's .5, not 5) was a tongue in cheek "athletic" event to raise money and awareness for the cause. Half a kilometer is a little under 547 yards, so these "competitors" didn't even break a sweat.

In Jennifer's words:

"About 700 people signed up to walk or run the .5k. There was a choice of courses: obstacles (you had to walk over a log -- see killer action photo), or no obstacles (except the donut stand). Sasha the dog/bumblebee finished the course and earned herself a treat, too. After the race, everyone crossed the street to enjoy root beer or real beer at O'Malley's - a very well known biker watering hole."

Thanks for the great pictures, Jenn! It looks like I missed a fun time!

Some cute little Broncos fans. I love it!

Cheerleaders from one of the local high schools.

Some O'Malley's patrons riding past.

Palmer Lake looks MUCH better with water in it!