Hello Everyone,
Yesterday I had the opportunity to participate in the SFA’s New York City Race to Cure Sarcoma!
I woke up at 6 am and after a few groans, I was up and ready to run. Mom, Maggie, my cousins, my uncle, my grandparents, and I made our way down to the city. Although we had a bit of trouble finding the event, we eventually made it.
I did a few quick stretches and hyped myself up. I then stood in line, alongside Mom’s former boss, Joe, and my girlfriend's dad, Seth. The airhorn signaled the start of the race and we were off.
I thought that playing soccer would get me in good enough shape for this 5k, and it did…but only for a bit.
The first mile was alright and I was feeling good for the rest of the race. We were making good progress and were in the top half of the pile.
However, shortly after, things took a quick turn. See, I wasn’t running with a watch or tracker to see how much we’d run. So when I asked how far we’d gone, I was completely shocked when Joe said, “About a buck and a quarter in.” I THOUGHT WE ALREADY RAN 2 MILES.
Suddenly, I felt myself panting and my legs seemed heavier. But I knew I couldn’t back down; I was running for dad. So, I put the pain aside and just kept putting one foot in front of the other.
I’d be lying if I said this was easy, but I eventually finished the race in 20 minutes and 2 seconds. Honestly, the biggest takeaway from this is a wake up call to not take the Camino lightly. I now realize the extra effort I have to put into preparation if I want to complete this journey. However, this doesn’t scare me and only gives me more motivation to work harder for you.
Anyway, after the race was over, I needed to catch my breath and collect myself as I was about to speak. I was feeling fairly confident as I had spent the previous night rehearsing in front of Mom and Maggie. I knew that even if I forgot something, I had my script to look at.
Well…actually, I couldn’t! When I got up on stage, I quickly realized that the wind was blowing my paper so much that I couldn't even glance down at it. So I ended up crumpling the paper and speaking from my heart.
The pure pride and support I experienced on that stage has drawn me deeper into this adventure. As I looked into people’s eyes from that stage, I genuinely didn’t feel alone. I saw everyone listening to my story and empathizing with me. I also saw looks of reassurance and strength telling me to keep going. So, thank you to everyone there who had my back and to the SFA for inviting me to speak. I really couldn’t do any of this without your support.
Until next Sunday!
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