Race for the Cure

This past Saturday, Mike and I ran in the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure in Columbus. There was a record breaking 45,000 pre-registrants not to mention on lookers and race day registrants! (No pictures because we didn't bring our camera with us. You can see photos here.)

As most of you already know I have spent the last few months completing the Couch to 5K program to gear up for this race. Running the Komen was a good motivator for me since I ran in honor of my grandmother, Zetta, who lost her battle to cancer just over 5 years ago. My goal was to finish in under 40 minutes and run the entire time.

Mike and I woke up early on Saturday to head downtown since we didn't know what to expect for parking, getting our bibs, etc. We arrived downtown just before 7am (the race started at 8:30) and were able to park just a few blocks away from the finish line and picked up our registration packets quickly. I was impressed by the organization and the amount of volunteers for the entire event.

We did some walking through the expo (wow! tons of swag but we only picked up pink super hero capes for the boys) and then did some stretching on what I think is the old courthouse on Front street. We joined the crowd at the starting line 15 minutes or so before the race was to start.

I was already feeling really emotional. 45,000+ people joined together for a good cause is emotional enough for me but the survivors wearing pink and many back signs with pictures of lost loved ones certainly added to it (we had back signs with my grandma's picture on them). We were literally elbow to elbow packed in the street. Then, the announcement came that we needed to clear a path down the street to allow trolleys to come through. Rather than having a police escort for the race we were escorted by trolleys full of women who are currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer. That did me in and I couldn't help but cry. How powerful and sad and amazing and liberating and encouraging and brave and ...

When the race started it took us about 5 minutes or so to get to the starting line because of the crowd. Mike and I both liked the route of the course (past nationwide, around goodale park, down buttles avenue to high street, through the short north, and ending at the state house) but were surprised at how many slow and steady uphill climbs there were with not a lot of down hill (I guess that's what happens when you start at the river front, you have to head to higher ground). I ran the first mile with out any walking, ran/walked the second and ran most of the 3rd. (I should mention that pulling lot of weeds for several days prior to a 5K is not a good idea. My hamstrings were very tight. But I do have another blog coming of my almost complete vegetable garden.)

While running I kept thinking of my grandma of course but also of my college roommate, C, who lost her sister to breast cancer a few years ago. C is really brave. After finding out her risk of getting breast cancer (it was a high percentage) she elected to have a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. I thought of my neighbor, P, who is a survivor (she's the one that identifies weeds by their smell). I thought about all the other loved ones I have lost to different cancers. I thought about how running for a cause is just one way to bring attention to finding a cure for cancer. I thought about how running to be in shape is just another way of kicking cancers ass.

There were lots of bands and cheerleaders on the corners of the race route. I am not a motorcycle person at all but 200+ Harley Davidsons lined up revving their motors near the end of the race route was quite impressive (it also made the air a little unfriendly for running). I believe there is a Bike for the Cure motorcycle ride. I was thankful at the end that we ran in to our friend Casey (he happens to be an athletic trainer) who was running with a client of his. Casey has such a gentle spirit and I was really motivated by running in to him.

Mike and I SPRINTED across the finish line and my Nike chip clock was at 41 minutes. (I was maybe a little disappointed but) There was something so much bigger going on than me meeting my under 40 minutes goal.

I loved that there was a separate finish line for survivors (an arch way of pink balloons) and they each received a metal and a rose.

Mike and I headed out soon after we were done since we had Ray's birthday party in the afternoon (a blog about that to come).

MCGOVERN CLAN: We all need to run and/or walk the Komen together in Toledo Sunday, September 27th, 2009. I saw an Irish family with awesome t-shirts: a shamrock with the pink ribbon as part of the shamrock (I'll have to draw it for you.).