Official time 40:30. Not great, but not bad either considering I could barely run a minute straight when we started training a month ago. Next year I think we can get down to 35.

Now of to the Holy Grail. Here are some snapshots of the Blog Joggers. Let me know if you see yourself and I’ll add a caption.

Checked in, number on, and ready for the wet t-shirt contest. Just 45 minutes till the pain, baby!

Blech. The West coast trip. The worst time of the season.

Summers are busy enough, and finding unconflicted time to sit down to some good baseball watching ain’t easy even when the Reds are competing for my attention with little league games and yard work. When the Reds are competing with my sleeping time, no matter who wins, the big loser ends up being me in the morning. Heaven help me if they go to 19 innings again.

Tomorrow is the last day before the Blog Jog. To train or not to train the day before? On the one hand, I read a blog post from a marathoner who said she mostly stays off her feet the day before a race. On the other hand, she’s running real races, not the baby 5K that will, nonetheless, knock me entirely on my ass. At least there’ll be beer afterward. Though probably not baseball. I’ll be too tired to stay up that late.

It goes this way every year: I start the season like a woman in withdrawal, sucking up every bit of baseball like it’s all that sustaining me. Then, sometime during the middle of the season, all the activities of summer begin to pile up and suddenly I realize I haven’t seen a game in over week.

Tonight’s activity wasn’t the sixth-to-last class session of my MBA career (though it should have been). Instead, the Red Hot Family headed out to the Thr3e Wise Men location in Broad Ripple (the fun part of Indianapolis) to take part in the Brew Mile. For $5 each, we got the honor of running a mile on the Monon Trail and a free beer.

It was hotter than the devil’s drawer’s and I didn’t make it through the mile, though my 11.5 minute mile wasn’t that bad. I can’t believe the Blog Jog is only three days away. I just hope I can finish the bastard in 45 minutes or less.

Speaking off, here’s the awesome email I got from one of the organizers today:

Thank you for being part of our first-ever Blog Jog this Saturday, June 11!

Through your participation in the Redlegs Run 5K event, you are supporting the youth baseball outreach initiatives of the Reds Community Fund. To show our appreciation in your good deed, we’ve organized fun Blog Jog contests, prizes and the chance to hang out with some of your favorite Reds bloggers.

The plan is to meet at Crosley Terrace (the main gate entrance to Great American Ball Park) at 8:30am. Look for Jamie Ramsey near the Joe Nuxhall statue in the center (He’ll be wearing a special superhero outfit!) The group will hang out for a few minutes and then walk over to the starting line together. After the run/walk, we’ll meet up in the Fan Zone by the Better Off Red banner.

There will be 10 prize opportunities! Inaugural Blog Jog Awards:

1. Fastest time (will be given out after results are posted online.)
2. Slowest time (will be given out after results are posted online.)
3. Best costume (Judged by Jamie Ramsey himself)
4. Most Reds Spirit (Based on wearing Reds gear)
5. Youngest BlogJogger
6. Oldest BlogJogger
7. Blog Traveler Award (who traveled the farthest to participate)
8. Best running playlist (submit to Jamie @Jamieblog before 6 p.m. June 10th)
9. Redlegs Run Veteran (This year is the 10th anniversary. Wear your shirt/shirts from past Redlegs Runs…whoever has their shirt on from the year closest to 2001 wins!)
10. Blog Representation (non-bloggers wearing their blog’s gear)

After meeting in the Fan Zone, all are invited to join Jamie and the other celebrity bloggers at the Holy Grail Tavern & Grille (right across the street from the Great American Ball Park) when it opens at 11 am.

Thank you again for your support of the Reds Community Fund and your participation in the inaugural Blog Jog! We hope you have an outstanding time, and good luck in the 5k!

If you haven’t figure out how you’re going to win one of these contests, I can help you out with #10: get your women’s style RHM shirt at Cafe Press by clicking here or your men’s style shirt here. Demonstrate you’re also wearing the thong, and I think they’re legally obligated to give you the prize.

Better today, but I’m still behind the Couch-to-5k pace. I don’t know what’s going to happen in nine days when we have to do this for reals.

One thing I do know, though, is that once it’s all done, I’m going to be in the mood to party. Want to get in on that party? Here’s how to join in:

1. Go to http://reds.com/5k to register for the Redlegs Run.
2. Email [email protected] to say you’ll be at the Blog Jog events before and/or after the run.
3. Go to Cafe Press to order your Red Hot shirt, in styles for women or men.

That last step isn’t strictly required, but it’ll make you look cool. You pay to register for the run, but there’s no additional charge for hanging with the bloggers.