How did I get so many people to donate? Well, working at Old Chicago does have some upsides. I've gotten to know a lot of regulars over the years and when one of us has a fundraiser, everyone steps up to the plate. I also pledged to donate 5% of my tips.
Throughout those weeks, I learned of those who also had a loved one taken away from cancer or are going through it or themselves are going through it. And it tears my heart as I listened to those stories. I only wish everyone the best that have to deal with the disease, whether directly or indirectly. I know the heartache it puts people through.
So...how did the fundraising go? Well, I managed to raise $1400, $200 was from my tips. I was so proud of myself and everyone who helped since I thought I'd only raise $500.
Now...how did the run go?
It was awesome! Seeing others running or walking in honor or in memory of someone they know was the reason why I was there too. It was even better seeing Survivors doing this race. A couple people that I know volunteered as their way to help and ended up signing Survivors up for the race. I hung out by that tent for a bit so it was great seeing those Survivors in high spirits.
My sister and her boyfriend actually ended up registering for the race since they work for the company that sponsored the race in which their company paid for their entry fee. Linda was just doing the 5K run since she just started running. Her boyfriend Andrew ran the 10K with me.
Andrew and I decided to start together and see how far we'd run together. We started at the back of the pack and when the race started, it felt like a tortoise's race. We got stuck behind slow people on a bike path so it was kinda tough weaving in and out of people and the grass to pass them. Andrew and I both had headphones on so I was in my own zone. I thought I had left him well behind but when we reached the first mile or so, he was by my side again.
One of these days, I'm going to run a fairly flat course. This 10K had rolling hills. Not huge hills but it seemed as if we reached the peak of the hill when we'd see another. Or we'd get to a downhill but then realize that we had to go up that same hill on the run back since it was an in and out route.
We ended up pacing each other pretty well. I can't speak for him but whenever I felt him inching past me, I felt the need to keep up the pace. I sensed the same for him whenever I inched just a bit further than him. We both knew that if either one of us wanted to run faster, it wouldn't hurt the other person's feeling. And if one of us wanted to drop back, the other knew to just keep going. But all was well...
...Until about 5.5 miles into it. Andrew "claimed" that he was going to stop since his music ran out and that he was going to reset his iPod. So I kept going. No rest for the weary. Joshua was at the finish line to cheer us on and I sprinted to the finish with a time of 55 min and 40 sec and Andrew was a quick 15 seconds behind me.
Just under a 9 min/mile pace. Not bad for not running since last Saturday's 5K race. I did at one point think about slowing down or even taking a walking break but then I'd think about my Aunt Mandy and how she never quit and that thought would just push me through my tiredness. I think that may be my new motivation to keep going.
Thanks everyone for donating and showing your support!!! Together, Madison's ACS run raised about $100,000.
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| The t-shirt that came with the run |
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| My own personalized t-shirt that I wore during the race |
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