Stephanie, Lesly, Leslie, and I at the starting line Last week I shared that on Sunday, March 8th I would be running a very special race with my friend Kay. In 2013 I was forced to run the San Diego Half Marathon alone due to the fact that Kay was too weak from her battle with rectal cancer to run an entire race. When I signed up for this year's half marathon, they had a section on the registration application where the organizers ask people to share any stories of why they might have chosen to run this race. I wrote about Kay and her journey back to health. I thought nothing of this until I received an email from the race organizers stating that they had read my story and they asked me for Kay's last name. I must admit that I was a little worried that maybe, because I had run with Kay's bib the previous year, we might be in a little trouble, but I had to trust that they would understand why I broke the rules a little and raced without my own race number.
The personalized letter and bracelet in my race bag On race day, Lesly and I drove down to SD to meet Kay and get our race bag with our official bib numbers. Kay had been staying in San Diego for the weekend and offered to pick everything up for us from the expo, so we didn't have to make the extra trip. As we sat in the parking lot of the Convention Center waiting for the race to start, I looked through my bag at all my goodies. To my surprise my bag contained a special gift from the race organizers addressed to me and Kay. It was in a little cellophane bag and contained a personalized note and matching race bracelets. This amazing gesture was so touching and meant so much to the two of us. It was a great way to start this special race day.
When the gun for our racing group finally went off at a little past 7:45 am, I was very careful not to lose Kay in the shuffle of bodies dashing under the starting line banner. I was determined that I would not lose her this year no matter what. I don't want to make any excuses, but this was a tough race for me overall. I was able to stay with Kay, barely, because it was just one of those days for me. I had not hydrated enough the night before and was already feeling thirsty before the race even began--never a good sign. I rarely eat solids before a race and that morning I downed a whole wheat English muffin, almond butter, and half a banana, which had me making trips to the port-o-potty and left me with stomach issues throughout the race. In addition, I got my first race blister ever, had a nagging side stitch starting at mile 3, felt a minor muscle pull in my right thigh, got a rock in my shoe, took my nutrition too late in the race and I hit a wall just as I came upon the big hill, and my iPhone died at mile 10 leaving me without any tunes for the most difficult stretch of the race. Not to mention it was HOT, and I wilt in temperatures above 70. Many of these things were in my control to avoid, and while I am so thankful for this day with Kay, I think I was also a tiny bit disappointed that I would not have my dream race--finishing with Kay AND a race time of under 2 hours.
When the gun for our racing group finally went off at a little past 7:45 am, I was very careful not to lose Kay in the shuffle of bodies dashing under the starting line banner. I was determined that I would not lose her this year no matter what. I don't want to make any excuses, but this was a tough race for me overall. I was able to stay with Kay, barely, because it was just one of those days for me. I had not hydrated enough the night before and was already feeling thirsty before the race even began--never a good sign. I rarely eat solids before a race and that morning I downed a whole wheat English muffin, almond butter, and half a banana, which had me making trips to the port-o-potty and left me with stomach issues throughout the race. In addition, I got my first race blister ever, had a nagging side stitch starting at mile 3, felt a minor muscle pull in my right thigh, got a rock in my shoe, took my nutrition too late in the race and I hit a wall just as I came upon the big hill, and my iPhone died at mile 10 leaving me without any tunes for the most difficult stretch of the race. Not to mention it was HOT, and I wilt in temperatures above 70. Many of these things were in my control to avoid, and while I am so thankful for this day with Kay, I think I was also a tiny bit disappointed that I would not have my dream race--finishing with Kay AND a race time of under 2 hours.
The most important part of that scenario came true...Kay and I finished that race together, and that really was much more important than any silly finish time. Plus, as Kay crossed that finish line they announced her name as a special "Overcomer" Runner, and she was met at the end by a volunteer who handed her a bag full of goodies honoring her hard work and dedication to training her way back to running long distances. I am so thankful to the race organizers for making Kay feel so special and for making this day one that neither of us will ever forget.
I think that what I hope you take away from this experience is that when obstacles come your way, even ones that seem insurmountable, NEVER give up! When Kay was first diagnosed with cancer, it was hard to envision what her road back to health would look like and how long that journey would take her. She pushed through the bad days and celebrated every little victory. Her positive attitude and her determination carried us both across that finish line on Sunday. I am hoping her attitude and determination will inspire you to push yourself beyond what you ever thought you were capable of.
I think that what I hope you take away from this experience is that when obstacles come your way, even ones that seem insurmountable, NEVER give up! When Kay was first diagnosed with cancer, it was hard to envision what her road back to health would look like and how long that journey would take her. She pushed through the bad days and celebrated every little victory. Her positive attitude and her determination carried us both across that finish line on Sunday. I am hoping her attitude and determination will inspire you to push yourself beyond what you ever thought you were capable of.
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