Musings of an Ukraine Traveler

On September 24th, I participated in one of my favorite Boise events, the Women's Fitness Challenge. I was again with my friend Pam Cox for about our 10th time. This is a 5K run, walk, stroll race and grows bigger every year. It is the second biggest women's event in the USA. Sponsors want next year to be first. Two days before the event, a huge health expo geared specially to women is held at the convention center. This year 13,000 women ranging in ages from 6 months to 94 years, women in wheel chairs, blind women, women with canes, mentally challenged women, single women, married women, very buff women and those of us not so buff participated. Even one man walked with us for his wife who was ill. He and his daughter walked side by side. Organizations and businesses form teams. This year the girl scouts had the largest team with over 500 women and girls.	The line up in the heart of Boise. Each balloon color marks a wave. The red was for the wheel chair racers; blue for the competitive runners, purple for us the walkers and orange for women with handicaps and moms with strollers. On the upper right you can see the old Chinese salon, now a restaurant.
From the right is Pam, her daughter Anna, Emily, friend of Anna and another of Anna's friend. It was cold and cloudy. Behind the girls is Louie's, a hometown favorite Italian restaurant.	Each year a different picture for the T-shirts is designed which you see here. The line up involves lots of hyping of the crowd with speeches and song. The song which we dance to is "Celebrate"
Usually the skies clear on event day and everyone has to shed coats and hats, but they didn't this year. Here, the purple wave ascends capitol boulevard. All traffic is blocked from downtown Boise.	We have reached the top and are rounding the corner of the railway station where water and more porta potties await the women.
We have reached Crescent Rim overlooking the Boise River and the parks. Here a mom with baby on back forges ahead!	All along the way, men cheer us on and here they actually are the cheerleaders. There were bands playing--Scottish pipes, drumming groups. All encouraging the women to make it to the finish line. Sorry the shot is blurry. I was walking fast.
It's all downhill now to the finish line. Look at the women stretching ahead into the distance. A great feeling.	Wanted you to see the moms with their strollers. What a great time everyone has.