One Event Closer to Completing My Personal Challenge

From 2009Komen5k

I’m one event closer to completing 12 events this year! As you may recall, my friend Ginny and I decided to challenge ourselves to complete 12 events in 2009. We decided this hmmmm, in August! This was all in an effort to get excited about Bike Run Yoga and get others involved in being active, having fun and getting to do “their” tri, whatever that might be. I’m happy to say I am one more event closer to completing my goal.

I ran in the Susan G, Komen race in Dallas, Texas on Saturday. It was a chilly morning and the parking areas were packed, I had gotten there a little late. As I rounded the corner of the parking garage I saw they were waving people through, darn it, the garage is full. Now what? Where are these people going to park? I see head they are waving people to another garage. But I think to myself, that is the premium garage they were charging to park in. What they heck, if I have to pay, I will, I need to park! And what do you know, they aren’t charging anymore because it is the only place left to park! Score! I parked super close to the event, walked down a few flight of stairs and all the sudden I was in a steady stream of white and pink t-shirts and pink hats, streamers and anything else people could decorate themselves with to show support.

The expo was going on but I headed for the starting line, I thought to myself, I can get the free stuff later…no need to carry it around. I made my way to the starting line and waited with what seemed to be thousands of people! It was a huge crowd of walkers, runners and everything in between. It was such an awesome sight to see so many people in support of cancer research.  I took a few pics, tweeted and we were off!

The start was slow, just because there were so many people trying to run in a narrow area. I decided to just run and see how far I could go, not looking at my watch or trying to run intervals, just running till I wanted to stop. They had said there was water at the halfway point, my goal was to run to the water stop. We weren’t but maybe a half mile in when I say a guy on the side holding his ankle. Bummer I thought, just a half mile in and already hurt. That occupied my mind for a few minutes, thinking of how it happened, what he must be feeling seeing everyone run by him….I think I had created a whole story for him by the time I was almost at one mile. As I peeked at my watch and noticed it said I had been running for a little over 8 minutes, I thought, man, I can do this…just keep running!

It felt good, I wasn’t too winded and the cold air was comfortable and seemed to make the run a little easier. As we turned a corner near a school I heard cheerleaders…did I make it to the half way point? I smiled at myself. As I ran closer to them I saw no water…what is this? Some trick? It’s ok I said to myself….it must be close. I looked down at my watch and calculated how long it should take me to run a mile and a half and well…I was just about there….so I kept going and as I turned the other corner…I saw port-a-potties! This seemed like a good sign, water must be near.

As I approached the water, I took two and walked. I had done it. I ran a mile and a half without stopping. Now this might not sound like a huge feat to some but my whole running career (less than 10 months) I have run intervals at a maximum of 5 minutes, walking one minute. To run 16 or 17 minutes without stopping seemed like a huge deal! All of this was running through my mind as I tossed my cup in to the trash and started to run. Calculations seem to keep the mind busy so as I am trying to figure out what double my current time is I hear someone tell their friend when we get to the second light, we are almost there. Second light I think….hmmm…that can’t be that far, easy breezy! So I run and I run and I run…forever.

I miss several evil cracks and holes in the road, successfully avoiding injury and then all the sudden, as I wipe sweat off my forehead, there it is up ahead, the second light. As I get closer I see the street name is Park, the same street we started on. I quietly thank the mystery lady for the comment about the lights because now that I see it and now it is Park, I feel confident I can keep running and make it in.

As I turn the corner onto Park the street becomes familiar, I remember it from when we walked the 5K as a company team a few years earlier. It isn’t that far I think, totally doable….just keep running. It was surprising easy and as I turned the last corner to the finish line, I sped up and powered in for a time of 33:43, perhaps one of my best average running times. I felt so good after it was done. I had done something for myself and others that morning, helping bring awareness and needed funds to cancer research and well, a little workout for me.

If you can help the Susan G Komen Foundation or want to run in one of their events, please check out their website for more information. Let’s help find a cure today!