The past weekend was packed with lot's
of activity that started with the FMH (Frederick Memorial Hospital)
Pink Ribbon Run for Breast Cancer. Feeling pretty good and with a
warm morning I decided I could run it. Even before the race
started good “vibes” were in the air. Walking up to register I
heard a voice behind me yell, “Hey Mike Your Support Team is Here
!” It was two of the Nurses who have been responsible for my
Treatments at the FMH Cancer Center. With both of my arms around
their shoulders we walked towards the starting line. Can a guy get
luckier ?
I know I shouldn't have a thought about
actually competing but what the hell, it's simply in my nature.
On the starting line I did what many
runners do, look around for who you need to beat. Now I'm not cocky
enough to be thinking about the overall results, but my age group,
now that's a different story.
To my right was a guy in my age group
sporting a “Pot Belly”, no problem there, even with chemo going
on. To my left however I saw the “Trouble Maker”, lean and mean a
natural looking running machine with Graying hair. Humm....
The gun goes off and within a minute my
GPS shows a six thirty pace as I try to keep up with “Trouble
Maker”. Even though I'm back to my seventh grade weight I realize
that this pace simply will not be sustainable so I need to let him
go. Who knows, maybe he'll burn out.
Some people would say the Baker Lake 5K
course has hills but really, they are simply inclines that simply
kicked my butt, I had to slow down; I felt like I was “Running At
Altitude” a likely result of a dwindling red blood cell count.
Results, OK here it is, 23.29 good
enough for 15th overall and Second (as I suspected) in my
age group. But that does not really indicate what I really got out of
this race.
After the race there was a long line
for the ladies room while the men's room, with it's broken lock stood empty. I suggested that the ladies make use of it as I would “stand
guard”. As I attended to my new found duties I heard a woman laughing say “Well I'm a two time Hospice Reject”. There was
a time in my life when I wouldn't have asked, but now, with most of my inhibitions gone I asked.
“I was supposed to die twice but I
wouldn't. I've got forty percent of my stomach, a rebuilt bladder”,
lifting her tee-shirt up just a touch, “And a tumor that makes a
sixty four year old look pregnant!” I told her I was fighting cancer as well to which she pulled off her wig and said. "Well at least you still have your hair (Naturally challenged as mine is.) She had just walked five
kilometers, standing in line laughing and smiling.
She will never know it, but at that moment, what I have dealt with, what is ahead, became somewhat relative. I'll say it again, “You
Women are far tougher then us men”
The rest of the weekend was chock full
of other good events, including , seeing my Nephew play Rugby, my son
Kevin perform, Patrick cutting the grass without my asking, a nice
trail run, cutting firewood, great foot rubs from Maggie, my running friends Larry and Steve completing their 100K and 100 miler races and as always the love
and support from Susan.
I am certainly am lucky man..... Mike
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