Oh, Oh big ol' jet airliner...

Oh, Oh big ol' jet airliner

Don't carry me too far away

Oh, Oh big ol' jet airliner

Cause it's here that I've got to stay

-Steve Miller Band, Jet Airliner

I was running on the runway
taking this picture.

In four days, I will be going on a "big ol' jet airliner" from this airport to a place I haven't been in six years...California. Unfortunately, I will not being seeing my brother, Pat, whom I have only seen twice since leaving California in 2010. He's the only reason I miss living there.

Me and my big bro', Pat.

Let me explain why I was taking the above picture from the runway.

This past Saturday, Merrill and I ran a 5K, the Runway 5K Run (10th Anniversary Edition) that we did two years ago. We couldn't do it last year because of the Marine Corps Marathon. This race is the Runway 5K Run at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

The course on the runways
of Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

It is not every day that you get to run at an airport, let alone run on the active runway of an airport. I can only imagine what people who are landing or taking off think as they see almost 3,000 people where they normally should be...

That is an airplane landing
behind me!

This race was all about fun. I stopped and took quite a few pictures. My time was not great, for me, becasue I did this. Who cares? As the saying goes...sometimes you to stop and smell the roses. There weren't any roses to smell, but there was a lot to look at.

Enjoy this series of pictures that I just took for fun.

This is the airport fire truck. Those tires are HUGE!

An unmarked cargo plane? It had me wondering what was in it

I'm on the runway and that is Terminal C at CLT!

Our pre-race selfie. Someone asked if they
 could take it for us. I politely said no,
 it is a tradition.

Merrill's Fellow Flower.
"I run because I get to."

Why am I going to California on Friday? It is Painted Turtle Camp time! I am going to talk about my training for a marathon and my plans for a participating in an IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon. I am excited and extremely nervous at the same time. Something exciting came together this past weekend. I am going to get to visit Children's Hospital Los Angeles and hopefully the Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia Clinic. It will be the first time in more than 20 years I have been there and I have been told it isn't even the same buildings as when I would go.

-------------------------------------------------

If you could help, no amount is too small, please visit: Go Fund Me.