Fun Run for a Good Cause

Ed -

I got to go back "home" to Manteo, NC this weekend and run in the All Out Pink Road Race.  It was two races actually: a 5K and an 8 Mile race.  I did the 8 Miler because I wanted to have a longer fast run as part of my training plan for next spring.  These runs are done as fund raisers for breast cancer research and programs around the Outer Banks and are put on by a local boot camp type fitness club along with a ton of sponsors.

The cool thing is that they worked in an extra feature by having contestants do a bench press contest when they pick up their bibs.  80% of your body weight as many times as you can up to 20.  With each rep you get to lower your time by 15 seconds.  You can opt out of that and just be a runner, like I did, but the Get Pumped For Pink shirts you get for that part are pretty nice.  Plus it adds something to the finish line party.

You hang out with people asking how many reps they got, talk about where you finished.  Everybody's got calculators out and talking about how great it would be to "really run a 55" for 8 miles.  Energy and fun.

Because I got the shingles this past week I followed my doctor's instructions, sort of, and took it easy.  The rash was very painful and uncomfortable, but not horrible.  And it didn't spread any more over the last couple of days, so I figure I didn't mess up by running.  It's only around my torso from my chest to my back, but the thought of lying a on a bench and pushing up a weighted bar was more than I wanted to put myself through.  Just running is fine by me.

Since I am a cancer survivor myself I'm always up for doing anything that helps fund research, treatment and most importantly to me, care for the patients and their families.  Plus the funds from this one stay local which means people I know as friends will benefit regardless of whether or not they're dealing with breast cancer specifically.

But Pink is the theme and I wanted to get into it some and went out looking for pink stuff to run in.  Did you know every freaking thing women run in has pink in it somewhere?  But there ain't a damn thing for guys!  I could buy ladies socks, shorts or singlets, but geez...  I figured if I were going to go the gay route I'd go full bore, as it were, and get a tutu, boa, and dye my hair bright pink.  Oh! And wear pink body glitter.  If you're gonna go, go big.

But I had a bunch of work to do at my house right after the race and my wife will see the pictures of this thing so I decided to try and avoid anything that big.  But I couldn't find crap.

Then a friend suggested hitting one of the big sportswear chains like Dick's and look in the football section.  Football on all levels it seems got with Nike and they have a whole Susan G. thing going on.  I was able to get a nice technical shirt that was black that said "Blitz For A Cure" on the front in bright pink.  I had black shorts (don't we all?) and got some cool Nike wrist bands also in pink.  What's really cool about them is that the words "Dedicated To:" is embroidered on them.  I had two people immediately come to mind and found a sharpie at the race.

Gay was a friend of mine from high school, an incredible person and also a runner.  Last year I happened to catch a reflection of her snapping a picture of her kids that she posted on facebook.  Her hair was gone.  I messaged her and just said I was butting in and asking because I cared, knowing that she and I hadn't traded but a couple of sentences over the past 30 years since high school.  She told me everything and wasn't really hiding what was happening, but wasn't all public with it either.  Over the next couple of months we traded many messages, a couple of cards and a letter along with my book.  She passed away so fast.  I put her name on wrist band number one.  

On the second one I wrote down "Kathy."  Kathy works at the Ace Hardware in Manteo and was there when I first set up my credit account with the owner himself by shaking his hand.  I love small towns.  Well Kathy is one of those folks who's huge on helping other people and was the team captain for the Ace stores for Relay for Life in Dare County along with every other cause that came along.  When I got sick she was one of the people who checked on me every time I came in the store and we became good friends during that first Relay I was involved with as I recovered from treatment.  Well now she's in a fight of her own.  Still working, still giving to others so I wanted to show my support for her.

 

 

 

So I had my outfit and I took off for the run along with a bunch of friends from The Outer Banks Running Club.

 

This run was an out and back across the old Mann's Harbor Bridge and offered a long straight line with a small bump as a hill.  Not thrilling by any stretch except for the view.  Unobstructed, out over the sound in the breeze on a beautiful Saturday morning.  One of those things that just makes you thankful to experience it.  You can't get this feeling from inside a car, and this feeling is one of the many reasons I run.  Without running consistently I'd never get to trot comfortably across this bridge and turn my face into the breeze . . . and breathe deep.  Loving the warmth, smell and strength I have right now.

 

And of course I remember not having anywhere near that strength.

 

So for that hour, out and back on that bridge, I remembered, prayed and appreciated all that everyone was doing that day for people dealing with cancer.

 

When I got to the finish line a friend of mine, Shane who call my Cancer Compadre since he had the same cancer I did just before me which led to our friendship, was at the finish line volunteering and jumped out to high five me.  Someone snapped a picture as I turned towards him and somehow caught the joy I felt by being there, donating a little money, and sending a ton of positive vibes out to the world.

 

 

 

I seriously love running.