Race For The Cure: I Haven’t Seen So Many Guys Wear Pink Since The 80’s

So I ran the Race for the Cure on Saturday. Among other things it was a sobering reminder of how much I used to be in shape. Back in college the slowest guy on the team was nicknamed “Chuck” and if he beat you, you got “Chucked”. The slowest guy in the conference went to another school and though we didn’t know his name getting beat by him would have been exponentially more embarrassing.

Given my time on Saturday, that would have happened to me.

Personal Note:
Add Bruce Springsteen’s “Glory Days” to my iPod.

I was supposed to run with my girlfriend (Hi, Sweetie!) but she got a job playing toilet paper Wheel of Fortune at the Quilted Northern booth. So I ran solo.

I started out in the 7 minute pace group and actually hit that pace dead on for the first mile, as designated by a water station. I felt good, I was talking to other people in the pack… but I had no idea where the second mile was. Someone shouted out “Mile 2” at one point but there was nothing designating it as such. I checked my watch and I was a minute slower for the second mile. Still I had no idea where I was going and by the time I got to the second water station I wasn’t sure if this was the REAL second mile.

Having no idea how much further to go I was completely off my pace. Until I passed the Nationwide building on High Street. There were about 100 Harley-Davidson motorcycles all running with their drivers revving their engines as the runners went by.

Is there anything more Genuinely American than that thunderously loud, all-American gas burning, steak grilling flag-waving Harley engine roar? I don’t think I’ve ever been so pumped up at that point of a race in my life. I started running faster.

Then again it may have been I just wanted to not breathe in so many exhaust fumes.

Of course once I was out of earshot of the thunderous rumble I fell off my pace once more because I had no idea how far away the finish line was.

I ended the race nowhere near my 20-22 minute goal which means I should try running more often than say once every two weeks.

After the race I had fun getting all the freebies. I stopped at the Quilted Northern booth first to spin the prize wheel that Krystle was operating. I won the cheesiest prize and was promptly told to “go get me free samples”.

The nice thing was that Value City and The James Cancer Hospital were giving out little tote bags so that made grabbing Tava water and Caribu Coffee samples much easier. Once I had filled both bags with freebies I came back to the Quilted Northern booth and spun the wheel again. This time I won a 6 pack of toilet paper… er, um I mean bathroom tissue. I was quickly told “Bring that over I’m out!” by my girlfriend/both operator.

It was a good time, great weather and over 40,000 people turned out for the event. However, a comedian whom I cannot accurately site right now said it best when he said “I wish they would cure cancer already so we didn’t have to run so many 5k’s!”