Today, I ran a 5k race
in 36:25.
That's my fastest time, ever.
Not too shabby, not too shabby at all.
It was a sunny, cool day. I ran with my sister, my brother-in-law, and my two nephews. The atmosphere there was AWESOME. People were all dressed up in crazy fashions, and running/walking in support of someone with breast cancer. There were over 18,000 people there today, running & walking. Many of those were wearing shirts in dedication to people who had been diagnosed with the disease. It was humbling to realize just how prolific breast cancer actually is, and it was inspiring to see so many out there running to honor the memories of those they loved, and to support those now suffering from it.
For me, the run wasn't entirely easy. At one point I was really struggling to run, so I had stopped to walk. I was feeling a bit discouraged because, at that point, my nephews had completely passed me up. Just then, a bald woman started to run past me. She was wearing a pink survivor shirt and bib. I picked it up and started to jog next to her. I asked her if I could run with her for a bit. She said yes. We trotted along for a short distance, and chatted. She said she had been a runner before her diagnosis, and that she had, prior to diagnosis, arranged to run a half marathon next week. She said, "When I was diagnosed, I thought about quitting the half, but then I decided I wasn't going to let cancer stop me from running it."
Her name is Kim, and she was my inspiration today. Particularly because, even with cancer, she completely outran me. When I stopped to walk, she turned and said, as she ran ahead, "I'm going to see how far I can keep going. I want to keep going."
I hope she keeps going, too. I'm praying for you, Kim, wherever you are.
One of my favorite parts of running today was the t-shirts people wore. Here are a few highlights:
"Save Second Base"
"Tammi's Rack Pack"
Shirt worn by two men: "We stare because we care."
Shirt worn by a survivor: "Of course they're fake. The real ones tried to kill me."
Hilarious. I don't think I've ever laughed so much through a race.
I felt awesome; I felt proud of the kids; I felt happy.
I feel happy.
What an honor that my running can help raise money for such a worthy cause.
