I ran for her

I recently ran my first 5K - the San Francisco Race for the Cure.  I've been training hard to regain my pre-baby body and have run 5K a few times, so I casually asked my sister if she wanted to run it with me.  She did and we did.  I don't love running, but it was an inspiring and emotional morning.

After you register for this race, you can create a sign for your back "In Memory Of" or "In Celebration Of".  I am blessed in that I can celebrate the health of both my mother and my sister - survivors of 26 and 6 years, respectively.  Diagnosed the same month, 20 years apart.  Spooky.  And both of them are the picture of health - truly inspiring.

We raced - it was hard - we finished and there's a gathering area.  Once everyone is done running/walking, the Survivors are celebrated.  My sister walked into the area with her daughter - 2 years old.  When my niece got antsy, I held her and then a singer sang Melissa Etherridge's song - Run for Life.

When I created my memoriam and when I held my niece, I was overcome with emotion.  I am so blessed to have my mother and my sister - who deserve to be celebrated - but I run for her.  I ran for my daughter and my niece.  I ran so that they might never have to consider mastectomies and chemotherapy and ovarian suppression.  I ran so that they might not have to wonder at every annual exam - is this the year.  My family genetics give me an 80% lifetime probability of breast cancer.  Maybe my daughter and niece didn't get those genes.  But in case they did, I'll run for a cure.

What makes you run?

Comments

[pam]

I run for all the people suffering with Crohns Disease and Colitis and for those who haven't been diagnosed yet so they don't have to endure the same horrible symptoms, surgeries and medications that I've had to endure.
Thanks for the inspiring post! It reminds me why I drag my tush out of bed on Sunday mornings at dark-thirty to run with Team Challenge and raise money for CCFA.

[Joelle - a Practical Parent]

You're welcome! Keep running.