Run for Mum

The clock read 5:23 in the morning. I sat up in bed; my alarm would be ringing soon. I hadn’t slept a wink all night, but I didn’t care. I was bubbling over with anticipation and nerves.

After seven weeks of training, it was finally Race Day.

Could I make it across the finish line? I had never run 8 kilometers before. The most we ran in training was 7.6 and I had stopped for a water break halfway though… Could I run the whole way without stopping? Would I cramp up? My head was spinning with anxiety.

I jumped in a cab at 6:12am (public transportation is non-existent that early on a Sunday morning), and after a brief altercation with the cabbie, wherein I attempted to tell him how to get to the track and he proceeded to go entirely the wrong way, I arrived at the steps of the Arts Centre to meet the rest of the gals from my Lululemon Run Group.

As the sun began to creep over the horizon, our gang grew in numbers. Some of the girls who work at Lululemon came out to support the running group – there were signs, fake tattoos, pom-poms, even music streamed from a backpack with speakers. We had our own cheer group, and it felt wonderful.

And best of all?

We got free shirts!

With fun rainbow stitching!

And a place to write your own personal goal!

(Apparently I am running a half marathon by May 2011… funny what one decides when they are sleep deprived and high on excitement.)

Eventually, we followed the crowd down to the warm-up field, where a record 40,000 people were turning up to walk, skip, dance and run for Breast Cancer research.

It was still early, and the sun was reflecting majestically against the city skyline.

Just kidding, that’s a streetlamp…

Down on the warm-up field, a wonderfully lively woman was leading pre-race stretch sessions. We danced and stretched and waved around our red balloons as the Black Eyed Peas Boom Boom Pow-ed in the background, energizing the enormous crowd.

It was so beautiful to be a part of such a heartwarming event.

Everywhere you looked there was pink: pink shorts, pink tops, pink hair, pink wings (yes, wings), pink body paint. It was vivid and bright and hopeful.

Here’s my superfun shirt again! Woohoo for free Lulu swag. I’m also wearing a Lulu running visor, which is one of my favorite things to jog in because the built in sweatband keeps all my fly-away hairs tucked out of my eyes. (And it comes in normal colors like black and grey for those who actually possess fashion sense).

No, I don’t have an addiction to expensive yoga-clothing, why do you ask?

We had the option of running with a “Tribute Card” honoring all those who fought, and are currently fighting, the gut-wrenchingly terrible disease that is Breast Cancer.

I dedicated my race to a family friend, Alison Freeman, who is currently recovering from surgery after the doctors discovered a lump in her breast. My thoughts are with you and your family, Alison.

Soon after warm-up, it was announced that all 8k participants should make their way to the start line. I gulped down the contents of my water bottle (I had decided not to run with it, but was terrified of getting dehydrated), and went for a quick bathroom break before joining the masses and funneling my way down to the road.

We were jumping around and jittering as they went through the course guidelines on the loudspeaker. My running buddy, Tanya, and I were both first time racers, and excited to get started. Finally, the countdown began.

10… 9… 8… 7… 6… 5… 4… three… two…. ONE.

The horn sounded, and we were off!

At the lightning speed of… ok, well, we were still walking. Because we hadn’t actually gotten to the start line. Because there were thousands of people in front of us. Also walking.

Eventually, however, space opened up and Tanya and I passed the starting line and began our race.

But then, disaster struck.

I had to pee. Badly. And we hadn’t yet run a kilometer. This was going to be one looong hour. Ah well… C’est la vie!

Tanya and I were setting a good steady pace and in what seemed like no time, we approached the 4k marker. Up ahead was our Lululemon Cheer Squad, whooping and hollering loud encouragements and holding up cheeky signs like this one:

Feeling revitalized, we ran straight through to the finish line without stopping. It was difficult, to be sure, especially when it came time to tackle the giant hill. Again. But we made it! (Question: why do those last two kilometers feel sooooo looooong?)

3268^th place. Not too shabby... And I had finished in under an hour, which was the goal I had set for myself. I was ecstatic.

Imagine what I could have done with an empty bladder!

Here are some of us, exhausted yet exhilarated, after the race.

As the morning drew to a close, I collected my bags, and pinned my tribute card to the dedication wall.

It was a beautiful, hopeful, joyful morning. I had finished the race! We had all finished the race. I lost the ability to walk after about an hour, but that seems like a negligible price to pay for such a moving experience. Plus I had Curtis to carry me, so I didn’t really need my legs anyhow.

He even got me a walker so I could move about the apartment. (Needless to say, the next day = ouch.)

Half marathon, here I come!

With so much love,

the traveling (and running) stahr…