4 miles of pink ribbons & balloons to the end of summer
the servers at work were down a few days this week b/c our main server in richmond was affected by flooding from the remains of tropical storm gaston. ugh. anyway...labor day weekend is upon us. where did summer go? i always feel a twinge of sadness as summer wanes. so how am i celebrating this weekend? the celebration started yesterday when i went to the county fair with shawn and mary after work, and came away with a bag of pink cotton candy. (sugar high! yeah!).
BUT...the real fun begins tomorrow at 8am. i'll be one of ~1850 women running in the annual Women's Four Miler! it benefits the UVA breast resource center and is one of the largest races in town. this will be my first time participating in the seven years i've been here, so i'm excited. i just picked up my bib and race packet (i'm athlete #1755)! i felt so uplifted and empowered at packet pickup, as there were pink balloons and pink ribbons and people everywhere. so i can only imagine how energizing tomorrow will be.
lately, i've been having tremendous difficulty (physically), so i'm a little torn between whether to run it, walk it, or do both (it's two miles uphill and two miles downhill). but i started physical therapy this week, which is awesome. AND, i'm excited b/c my co-worker, ellen (a dedicated walker and a two-time breast-cancer survivor at age 39), welcomed me to join her and her support group team. they're walking together in a group called the (i think?) "pink flamingoes" (sp?). so if i do walk some of it, i know i'll have good company and in a way, i feel honored she asked me, because if i walk with these strong women (all cancer survivors), it will be a meaningful and memorable experience that will always stick with me.
my parents are set to arrive tonight so they can treat me to pasta for dinner and then cheer me on tomorrow. dad will be taping me while mom takes pictures! it means more than you can imagine to have their support tomorrow. i do races despite feeling lousy so much of the time, because it's a challenge, and a tangible one. and when i finish one, it gives me a sense of accomplishment that despite obstacles, i can put my body and mind to something and finish it. and maybe i like the challenge b/c so much of running (or even walking) a race is mental endurance. anyway...
after that, i'm spending a few days away at their house for labor day weekend. this year's cookout will feature grilled rainbow trout. mom knows how much i love fish, and so she's making it special for me, grilled and wrapped in tin foil, with corn on the cob, fresh-squeezed lemonade, and watermelon for dessert. and maybe an ice cold beer if i'm up for it, as well.
well kids, enjoy your long weekend. will i make it through all four miles? will i finish in under an hour? i hope so! i guess i'll find out tomorrow!!
xo,
M
