Run, Run, Run!

I begrudgingly entered the Susan Komen 5K at Kelli's request. And, believe me, it was begrudgingly. I ran all of two times before the big day and I was dreading every step of the 3.1 miles. I knew I would live to see the finish line, but I didn't really want to even see the starting line.

But, I went. There are 17,000 people who run/walk this race, and I wasn't prepared for the crowds. Holy crap 17,000 people is a lot!

We started the race out at a walk, simply because we couldn't run due to the crowd, but within about 10 minutes we were at a pretty good jog. Kelly had made us signs for our backs that said "In Loving Memory of Judy Taylor" had Judy's picture on it. As we started running, my blood began pumping and I was actually really excited about it. I ran with vigor for the first nearly 2 miles. I probably could have kept going at a jog, but the pace of the entire group began to slow a little. So, I slowed to a fast walk for about 100 yards. Then, it was back to the jog.

The short end of this story is that I made it the entire way and only walked once. I ran through that finish line as though I had just won the Boston Marathon and I had the time of my life! It was such an inspiring day. Seeing the women who were bald due to chemo, their families there for their support, and the "let's fight together" feeling was absolutely amazing. I would do it all again tomorrow--and this time I wouldn't walk.

I now thank Kelli for insisting that I join the cause and I'm recruiting runners for next year. Since race day, I've ran every other night and I still have that proud and excited feeling with every step. I plan to do some more 5ks, but I doubt any of them will beat this experience. It was truly awesome.