Danville 8K

On November 14, I ran in the Danville 8K and Half Marathon. The sun peeked through the clouds and we were able to see blue skies for the first time in a week. It was a promising outlook for a great day of racing, but when I arrived at the start, the only thing I found was a man with directions to the “new” starting line of the race. I learned that part of the course had been flooded from the recent rain and runners were relocated to a new start and finish for the race. When I finally arrived at the right location, slightly frazzled but ready to run, I saw lots of familiar faces. The Osborne Baptist Church group was there, all dressed in matching t-shirts. How awesome it was to see ladies from a local church that train together, laugh together, and worship together.

A change in location of the race also meant a change in the course. It proved to be a challenging one, with the start consisting of an uphill assent for what seemed like at least a half a mile. The course was modified into a strange combination of an out and back loop, which 8K participants ran once and the half-marathoners ran a total of three times. The change in course (although more hilly than the original) actually provided runners and their families with an opportunity often missed at other events. So many times my family has come out to support me only to be able to actually see me at the very beginning-when I am jammed in the middle of a crowd of runners-- and then once more as I cross the finish. But today’s event was different. Not only could onlookers see runners at the beginning and finish, but several other times as well. The unique layout of the course also meant that runners passed each other multiple times on the course. This gave those of us who knew each other a chance to cheer each other on, motivate one another, and flash a big thumbs-up when we were too out of breath to do anything else.

My goal for this race was to take it easy and enjoy the race atmosphere. I’ve been nursing a sore tendon in my foot, took two weeks off, and I didn’t want to aggravate it further. After the time off, I knew I couldn’t just go out there and run full blast. Sometimes reality causes us to change our expectations; I tried to match my expectations for myself with reality. As I said the course was hilly and I was expecting a nice, flat run. Somewhere along mile three there was a BIG hill and a voice in my head that said, “Oh go ahead and walk for a second.” Just as I started to slow down my pace, another runner touched my back and said, “Come on. Don’t stop here. You can do it.” I picked up my pace again and I climbed the hill side by side with a total stranger. Yet for a moment, I felt as if I knew her.
You must understand that runners are strange and fragile creatures when it comes to rules of race etiquette. Some think it’s ok to cheer one another on while others think it’s rude to risk breaking a runner’s concentration. As for me, I’m all for cheering-- when I have the breath-- and I know without a doubt that I owe my award from this race to her. She reminded me that I was there to run, even if the running was slow and the hills were a struggle. I won third place in my age group. Thank you “lady-in-the-pink-shirt”.