2/25/18: yesterday was the second year in a row I walked a charity 5K for colon cancer awareness. A lot of things have changed since last year. (In case you need a refresher, here is my post from last year’s race.) While last year’s race was the first one in which I had participated since my RSD diagnosis, this time I had multiple races under my belt, including two half-marathons. In fact, these days I generally walk 5-7 miles on any given Saturday, so a 5K felt a little like cheating.
The weather was also very different. While last year was bitterly cold, the race time temperature yesterday was a balmy 70 degrees. And while the forecast called for a 70% chance of rain, the weather held during the entire race. In fact, it was the first event I’ve done in several months where I didn’t get soaked. (Thanks Mom! I feel certain she pulled some strings yesterday.)
Some things didn’t change, though. I listened to the fight song playlist on the way to the race. Maybe that wasn’t a good idea, but every now and then I need to hear it and remember. (And in a completely unrelated note, I cried through the start of the race.) Other than a few pleasantries, I didn’t talk to anyone while I was there, and I walked alone. But this time instead of silence during the walk, I listened to an upbeat workout playlist I’ve been working on, and that was a good idea. It kept me focused and I had my best average time for a race since I’ve started walking competitively again.
In fact, not only was I the first walker to finish, I actually passed multiple people in the running group that started before the walkers. Not because I am a badass. Trust me, my half-marathon results will confirm that I am not going to win any speed awards anytime soon. But yesterday’s event was different. With a few exceptions, the participants weren’t regular runners, or even regular walkers. Many of them had probably never walked three miles at a time before and some of them were really struggling. But they were there to celebrate, honor, or remember a loved one who had fought colon cancer, and that was enough to keep them going. So everyone who participated yesterday was a badass, in my opinion.
This year I was able to forego the post-race beer because they were also offering hard ciders - my favorite! Hey, I have learned in the past year that I can drink a beer when absolutely necessary (2017 New Year’s resolution - check), so I am off the hook. And then I went home and ate guacamole and queso for lunch, because that’s what Mom would have wanted me to do. (Yes, I know, that sounds like an excuse, but ask my family - they will totally back me up on this.) My family and friends really came through, as did all the participants’ families and friends, and we raised a lot of money for colon cancer research.
My foot protested mightily yesterday afternoon and evening. It couldn’t have been the distance, so I have chalked it up to the humidity and emotion. I am planning to do another half-marathon next week, and while it is more than four times as long as yesterday’s walk, mentally it will seem like a walk in the park. A long, slow walk through a really big park. Behind a bunch of “real” athletes. But they won’t match the badasses I walked with yesterday.
