That's perspective. Live Earth's Run For Water took place last Sunday, with more than 180 cities around the world participating, and I'm proud that Singapore (and Chicago) were on the slate. I love 5Ks (this was my first 6K race) - they are very accessible for so many people. You could have been out drinking and drafting your fantasy baseball team till 3am and still make it past finish. (Guilty.) You could have only started running a month before and make it. You could have completed a 20-miler long run the day before and pull through. You could have prepared with 1,200m x 5 interval drills. You could be such an accomplished runner that you eat 5Ks for breakfast drenched with maple syrup under a pile of caramelized bananas.
There is no better reason or way to get up early on a Sunday morning (unless it's softball), take a leisurely bike ride down to the race as warm-up, rip up the tarmac, then grab a cold beer. That was my plan anyway - I did all of the above, except that I putzed around a little too much at home and ended up having to hightail it all the way to the F1 pitstop building, literally throw my backpack into gear check and wind my way into corral A (36:00 and under) with two minutes to spare. If you're interested in the technical details of how my race went, which I finished in 31:11 and came in 23rd in the Female Open category and 30th out of 1,165 women, go here: http://www.dailymile.com/people/Broocie13/entries/1514703.
Otherwise, I'll continue. Another reason why I love 5K+ is because when I first started running, it took me 45 minutes to complete that distance. I put a completely unprofessional and probably technically unsound running program together for myself and in three months, managed to clock a 30-minute 5K run. (Around the same time, a doctor informed me that I'd never be able to run more than 10K on account of my banged-up left knee from softball. Well, doctors make mistakes and my own second opinion was all I needed.) It's a pretty boring story between this moment and the one when I clocked my best 5K just under 23 minutes at the Bucktown race, but somewhere in between, my good friend Andrea Sanchez said, "I can't believe you run a 5K in that time but can't run fast to first base for shit." I guess that was when I began to secretly entertain the thought that maybe, just maybe, I could go the 26.2 distance if I tried. (Although I also quickly dismissed that thought immediately.)
What I'm trying to say is that I believe the 5K is a turning point for so many people. When you stand at the finish line and watch the runners come in, you can tell that some might never have thought they would ever run that distance in their lives. That some set a goal to hit that distance with a friend or a loved one or a family member and would stride into finish all holding hands and shouting in joy. That some had something to prove. That some just plain and blissfully love the hell out of running, and beamed a trail after them on the course. I wouldn't know about those who made pancakes out of 5Ks, because they obviously finished miles ahead of me.
All I know is that if I had never tried to run 5K in 2002, I would never be setting my sights on my fourth marathon in 2010.
Love the spirit! I am the biggest fan of high-fives at the finish. Next to beers at the finish.
These are the guys who keep me going - handicapped runners who go through a lot more than we can ever imagine to put one foot in front of the other. They are the true heroes out there!
A fantastic way to highlight Run For Water - some runners volunteered to go the distance with a five-gallon jerry can filled with water.
Running is for everyone!
Thanks to the 3,300+ runners who raced on Sunday - if you ever need another reason to run, a great cause is it!
By the way, Sunday, April 18 was my dad's 61st birthday. As one of the most unselfish people I know, with the biggest heart who shares everything he has, I dedicated my run to him. Happy birthday, Dad!
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