Run 2 Overcome

On the morning of June 8, a young jogger was out for a run. This was an area she was familiar with. Who knows, it may have been a route she ran daily. But this day was different. As she turned into a subdivision and came upon a wooded area, she was hit in the head, pulled down an embankment and brutally assaulted. To date, the suspect has not been caught. Just typing this still sends shivers down my spine. I run and I often run alone. This would be anyone's nightmare. It is for this reason that I participated in the Run 2 Overcome last Saturday. This race was not about time, it was not about pretty scenery, it was not about competition. What this was about is taking a stand - a stand for the victim, to let her voice be heard; a stand for solidarity; and a stand against fear. We will not let our fears control us and consume our being. The race started around 9:15 and it was already 88 degrees with high humidity. I've gotten used to running at 6am and the 3 hour difference was telling. As we stood around and listened to motivating stories, you could feel the sweat begin to pool in areas you didn't know would catch sweat. We were off with the sound of a siren. The course went along the route that she had run that morning. At the sight of the attack, a youth band from a local church was set up. As I came by they were playing Matchbox Twenty's "How Far We've Come". There were hills... many, many hills .... steep, long freakin' hills. Combining that with the heat and humidity, this was the hardest 5K I believe I've ever done. The neighbors were fabulous. They had makeshift water stops for us. One homeowner even put out cold, wet washcloths for the runners. I did okay until the last mile and at that point I had to begin taking walk breaks on the hills. I finished this race feeling as if I had run an ultramarathon, but knowing that the participation and the cause was all worth every second and every drop of sweat. Here is what I looked like at the finish line:

Okay, so I was making a silly face and being a drama queen. And no, I don't usually wear my glasses when I run. But, I'm less than two weeks away from LASIK and cannot wear my contacts. I really didn't feel that bad, but it was a tough race. Kudos to my awesome, rock star hubby who decided not to run this event, but stood in the heat waiting for me to finish and take pictures. He is the best!!