I ran in my first 5K yesterday to raise money for a local war hero, 22, who lost 3 limbs during his third tour in Afghanistan. I have to admit, running isn't as easy for me as it used to be many moons ago. Thanks to my sister's encouragement and that-day-training, I made it...even if it did take me 41 minutes and 7 seconds.
Before the race
I have walked 2 other 5K's, but I never actually ran in one before yesterday. Let me tell you, when I saw that finish line, when I heard those cheers, when I crossed that line, I had to hold back a sob. It was one of the proudest moments I've experienced. I didn't think my body could do that anymore. Thanks to the assistance of my baby sister and my boyfriend, we did it. All of us.
After the race
Once my brain started functioning again, I started thinking that we all have that one finish line we desperately want to cross: We want to be survivors. We want the treatment, we want that special cure, and we want to return to our normal lives. Sadly, melanoma is not like that. There is no true finish line. There is no cure. We tackle, we treat, and we live. We live with our new type of normal, MelaANormal, Life with Melanoma.
And we win the best prize:
Life.
2 comments:
awesome! I just finished my first 5k last winter. Like actually *ran* the whole thing. I ended up running an 8k, too. Not sure if I can handle so much more than that, but it's crazy to know YOU can do it! :)
So happy for you! I ran my first 5k last month and plan to run my second one next month. That finish line moment, when the crowd and cheerleaders were clapping...wow! Totally help with the feelings of accomplishment! Congrats!
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