Race for the Cure 5K

This past Saturday I ran in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5K. The event is so large that there were 4 separate run/walks that people could choose to participate in. I ran with A & J in the competitive 5K at 7:00am! The early start time meant that I had to leave my house at 5:15am in order to meet them at the shuttle buses at 6. Ah, reminiscent of early days at horse shows :-)

The race and the race day activities were great. An estimated 24K people came out and close to $2M was raised in the fight against breast cancer. There were tons of vendors giving away free stuff and I think we're all set on granola bars for quite a while! The atmosphere was jovial, but so very bittersweet. Many of the runners and walkers wore signs on their backs in memory of a loved one who had lost the fight. There was a father-daughter pair wearing signs in memory of their wife and mother, respectively. I cried on the phone telling my mom about it and I am holding back tears as I type.......

In spite of the sad, sad stories, there is so much hope. Hope that we will find a cure in the fight against breast cancer. I saw so many survivors at the race, identified by their special pink shirts. I was struck by how young many of them were. It serves as an important reminder of how important breast self-exams and early detection are. I've done my exam this month, have you?