My Favorite Things: Race for a Cure

Remember this week was to get outside... I try to take C for a walk fairly regularly and I wanted to step it up. I read outside. Today, we weeded our flower beds and planted some new additions (tired!). And yesterday, I had signed up to run in the Susan G. Komen 5K. Work had sent out an email asking for participants. Typically I ignore these volunteer things... I'm not sure why. I guess because its always a bit easier to do what I want and not give up my precious free time. But this time I really debated about it. I sent it to my mom - did she want to run with me - my dad said he would walk it. So I signed us up for the non-competitive 5k.

We had to be there at 7am. I was not looking forward to an early start (I got up fifteen minutes before my dad was picking me up). The first hour was a lot of just standing around. Then we went to the race starting point, they had an announcer, vendors, music. It was different. It was emotional. It was fun. I actually felt like this could really make a difference. I can't put into words how great I felt afterwards.

Things I learned:

- 1 in 8 women will have breast cancer.

- If caught early I think they said the survival rate is 98% (that's amazing!).

- This all started with Susan Komen's sister who vowed to do everything she could to fight for a cure. What an amazing sister! The organization is now worldwide.

- On a less serious note, I need better running shoes or thicker socks - both my heels have massive blisters (we're talking swollen and the size of quarters - flip flops for the next week for me).

Before the race we all milled around, we decided not to pick up any of the giveaways until after so we didn't have to hold them. They did a survivor parade. Then they told us to go line up. We didn't do the competive timed part so we were near the middle of the pack. When we got up hill and turned the corner to head down across a bridge, it was so cool to just look out and see a sea of people in front of us and behind us. And for something so emotionally charged (people had on their shirts who they were racing for - in celebration of or in memory of) there was so much life happening. People were laughing, talking, kids running around, music playing, people cheering us on, and the shirts and costumes some people wore were hysterical.

I would do it again in a heart beat.

Here's the song that kicked off the race. Enjoy.