Race For the Cure

Weight: 132 lbs Water consumed: 50 oz (bad) Races run: 1 (v. good) Moments spent feeling like am doing something worthwhile and am a part of something greater: approx 1,267

12:07 am For second night in a row in bed after midnight, and today is race day. Last night could not put down Bridget Jones and tonight had typical Pre-Race Safety Pin Crisis. After having a lovely date with Bill, did pre-race prep: lay out shirts, socks, sneakers, grind coffee for quick am cup, do dirty laundry dive for running "foundation garments", etc. only to discover that there are 12 places to pin bibs and 5 pins. Bill drove around Alexandria attempting to find an open store at 11:30pm with no luck. Finally decided to sew bib to shirt. Sigh. At least this solution is better than Bill's First Marathon Diaper Pin on Race Bib Debacle.


5:45 am Ugh. Must get up to begin hour commute to Start line. Can barely open eyes.


6:30 am Brief panic when could not find lid to French Press, but all worked out. Wondering about benefits of drinking coffee and being able to drive safely vs real issue of not being near a bathroom for at least 2 hours.


8:00 am Last minute bathroom trip resulted in finding only 2 portajohns which were padlocked and nothing else in sight. Dash back to start finds us on wrong side of the fence. After horn blows, jump it and being running in the crush of people trying to actually win the race. First spiritual moment of the day as I look at the 69,000 runners all coming together to raise money to find a cure for breast cancer.

8:02 am Thomas asks to walk. Anthony says his feet are hot. It is quite hot and humidity is crushing. Begin to wish we could have found a bathroom. Bib falls off shirt.

Mile 1 Interminable (although was terminable, obviously). Note that, bizarrely, clocks are placed at mile markers although race is 5K. Time 14:25. Give the boys there head so the next mile is spent sprinting and weaving in and out of people running at a rational pace trying to keep up with boys. Only heard supportive and uplifting comments about boys.

Mile 2 Time 27:14. Passing Washington Monument. Race seems so long and really not feeling well due to race jitters, coffee, and lack of available bathrooms. Thomas also doing the potty dance. Leave race route to find relief.


Mile 3.2 Continue hunt on path parallel to runners but have no luck. Rejoin racers with Finish Line in view and find, mere steps from the line, bank of 80 empty portapotties. Hurrah!


Finish Line Moment of humility when I realize that after laughing up my sleeve all morning at people who have pinned their bibs to their backs making the time tag unreachable, I have handed our tags to the Channel 9 News Crew.

Post Race Starbucks Even notoriously frigid Starbucks is warm and damp with a crush of racers. Had a lovely and inspiring talk with a pink race-shirted survivor who has one treatment left. Thomas and Anthony ask if next year we can push James so all the April birthdays can celebrate together. :)