Tonight was the Kansas City leg of the official Do Life whirlwind tour through the US, and it was awesome.

For those who don’t know, Ben Davis is the guy who inspired me to finally get off my ass and start running. Ben has started the “Do Life” movement, which is aimed at making changes in your life to make your life better. It’s a pretty cool idea, and I suggest subscribing to Ben’s blog. You won’t regret it.

Ben Davis and me (Bill Parrott) at the "Do Life" 5k in Kansas City, 7/13/11
I didn't realize how tall Ben was until I looked back at my pictures. Or am I just _that_ short?

Tonight’s run was a pretty casual affair. There were about 35-40 (ish) people who showed up to the Liberty Memorial in downtown Kansas City for the 5k. Even in that small group, I saw the full spectrum of runners: there were a few who looked like they were completely new to it, those who (like me) have been doing it for a few months to a few years, and there were a few who looked like they could have been professional runners.

People have started showing up to the "Do Life" 5k in Kansas City, 7/13/11
Before the run, we stood around just chatting.

I’m still pretty sore from my race last week, so after the first mile, I took it pretty easy. I walked quite a bit and chatted with a woman who also started running this year. I think that was the whole point of tonight’s gathering: just meet with other people who have similar stories (I lost track of how many people I met who have only been running for a few months) and talk, listen, and just generally have a good time.

After the run, we car pooled down to the Chipotle in the Power & Light district and hung out for a couple hours. The food was good (it’s Chipotle… hard to go too wrong), the conversation was awesome, and it was just a good time overall.

I’m really glad that I got to do this, more glad that Ben has shared all that he has through his blog, even more glad that he has served as an inspiration to so many, and infinitely more glad that I have finally started taking control of my life to affect positive change.

This was a good day, and I can’t wait for next year’s tour!