3-4-5-6-7-8-9

I'm tired. But as David Lettermen would say, "It's a good kind of tired."

I'm working on about two hours of sleep, but it's my own choice. First stayed up until 12:30 a.m. to watch the Rangers come from behind to beat the Angels, 8-5, and climb back into a tie for first in the American League West.

Then, I couldn't go to sleep knowing that I was getting up in about 3 1/2 hours. It was at least 2 a.m. before I nodded off and the alarm clock went off around 4 a.m.

I dutifully got up because a chance like this won't come around for another 98 years. I got into my running gear, brushed my teeth, wisely chose glasses over contacts and headed out in the pitch dark.

At the Amarillo High track, I was joined by five others: leader Dr. Mike Flores, Dan Hatch, Monte Wells, Laura Baay and Jenn Upchurch. Kindred spirits driven to do something truly momentous.

Less than 10 hours after running the 5-mile Summer Bummer at Thompson Park Tuesday evening, we were back again, motivated by the number gods.

We were going to run three miles beginning at 4:56 a.m. on July 8, 2009. In other words, 3-4-5-6-7-8-9. Mike had a clock, a couple of hand-held signs and a camera to mark the occasion. Since it was dark, I can only speculate, but I'm sure there wasn't a dry eye among us. Plenty of red eyes though.

Then we took off throughout the Puckett neighborhood. Man, I never felt so alive.

As we were running, I asked Mike about the idea. He mentioned something about Rain Man and idiot savant. I don't know about the savant part, but everything else made sense.

We got done around 5:20 a.m. or so. It's something I can one day tell my grandkids, who will likely respond with the same bored stare that anyone else has when I mention this.

But the next time a sequence like this can come around, one of distance, time and calendar? My limited math it would be one mile at 2:34 a.m. (or p.m.) on May 6, 2107. Now if you put the distance at the end, it could be at 1:23 a.m. (or p.m.) April 5, 2106 with seven miles at the end.

Since I'll be either 148 or 149, I'm going to wait a year and just run the one mile.