Yesterday I completed my 13th Race for the Cure. My walking buddies from previous races have all decided that they prefer not to return as supporters after last year's debacle. However, my cousin's wife was just diagnosed with breast cancer two weeks ago, and one of my two oldest friends is only in year 2 of her cancer-free life, and the organization provides money to poor communities in my state that are not just underserved--they barely make it on the map. So, with about half of the pre-2012 racers, I returned.
Since I wasn't walking with a group, I was able to walk faster that I would have. As DoodleBug and I have been interval running and walking, I decided to try that technique for as long as I could. I ran the first half-mile flat out, thought my heart would explode, then did a few blocks at walking/running, then just walked as fast as I could. Hey, the most Doodle and I have run/walked was 0.7 miles, and recently it's only been about 0.3 miles of running, so 0.5 without any walking is a miracle!
But that push got me off to a good start, so I finished the race at 41 minutes, 22 seconds--about 25 minutes behind the female runner who came in first (18 minutes, and she was 16 or 18 years old--I could almost be her grandmother!), which I think is not too shabby. And that means I walked, on average, a 13 minute, 29 second mile! I haven't walked that fast in years! My fastest time ever was just over 11 minutes/mile, but I was about 24 years younger then. And this was pretty much without any training whatsoever. Woo hoo!!
So, M & M, this one was for you. And your daughters.
Awesome job! What a wonderful thing you did, participating in a walk like this. I hope someday to do a walk as well, when my health is better.
ReplyDeleteYou can do it! You just start slow, one footstep at a time, one block at a time. The only competition is with yourself. Not the clock--with yourself. And it's only about finishing. Doesn't matter how long it takes, just that you get there.
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