Get Your Rear in Gear Philly 10k!

What an AWESOME event today! The Philly Get Your Rear in Gear hosts a kids run, 5k, 10k, and 2 mile walk. Funds raised from the event will help local efforts to raise awareness of colon and rectal cancer and positively impact screening rates. I chose to do the 10k race and as my stream of consciousness hits the day before this race, it goes like this:

'Wow, I did my first run race in 2002 - it was a 10k and I ran 38:51. A long way coming and my "goal" for this race is to run in the low 34 minute range. What a sense of hard work and improvement over the years.'

'I started a non-profit foundation two years ago with the goal to help cancer patients and their families (no matter what type of cancer) and I'm trying to do my best at getting others involved and helping as many people as we can, collectively. Running in this event, racing alongside thousands of other people passionate about the cause - how is this going to feel? I may be overwhelmed.'

'The event wants to use the funds to raise awareness of colon cancer and positively impact screening rates - I recently had my screening last month and I feel empowered to carry similar goals and objectives with HCM, but I struggle figuring out the best and most effective way to increase colon cancer prevention and it frustrates me. I hope I can figure this out soon.'

'My Dad died of colon cancer at such a young age and never had the chance to see me grow up. I wish he was around to see all I've become - whether it is running, the foundation, etc. But the crazy thing is that if he was here - all of that stuff might not be.'

'And lastly - events and races of this nature put a good amount of focus on one day - getting people pumped and fired up to do big things. We try to do that at our HCM events! However, the real work gets done day in and day out by remaining focused and putting your nose to the grindstone and never letting up. I want to use this race as a way to get me pumped up so I can continue to have that intense drive and work ethic I have with the foundation - this moment in my life is the most motivated I've been in a long time.'

Ok - well lets get on with the race. I get there and walk over to the art museum to pick up my race number and t-shirt. All these people here - some holding signs, some wearing t-shirts that honor who they are running or walking for - it made me stop and look around. It's history right here. All these stories - peoples' lives and their ability to touch others enough they are now doing something in their memory/honor. It amazes me. And of course I sport the new HCM run singlet - I don't look at this piece of clothing as a way to honor my Dad - I keep that in my heart and mind - I look at our uniforms as a way to show I am part of a TEAM that is collectively trying to make a difference in our community. The people on the HCM Team are down right amazing. Genuine would be my word to describe all of them and the relationships being built are going to do some really good things this year and further years.

Ok - now I will really get to the race, ha! It was in the mid to low 40s but the sun was shining very bright. So I wore shorts, t-shirt, hcm singlet over shirt, and light gloves - PERFECT conditions. I did about a 2 mile warm up and 5 or 6 pickups just before the start and mingled with a few of the other runners (always nice to catch up and meet new people). I recognized Patrick Hager (winner of 5k today) from the Quakertown race so we said a few words and he introduced me to his buddy Eric, who was running the 10k and also shooting for a low 34 time! Good stuff!

So we start and it was hard to know who was running the 5k versus the 10k because we all started together. I knew I wanted to hold a 5:30 pace on the way out so I tried not to get wrapped up in the speed early on and held my own pace. In the 10k, there was a guy way off the front - then Eric and another guy, Steve (who I've done a few training runs with), were together a few steps ahead of me. By mile 2 they started to separate and Eric held his pace strong. I ended up catching up to Steve and tried to encourage him to keep running with me because we could feed off each other and keep it going. I hit the turnaround (at the 5k mark) nice and steady feeling good - the first place guy was still way out front, Eric was about 15 sec ahead of me, Steve was about 10 sec behind me, and then there was a line of guys maybe 30 - 45 sec behind Steve.

Eric simply smoked that second half of the course - he was looking strong after the turnaround. No way I was catching up to him. So I just wanted to continue running my pace the best I can, finish on the low 34 min range, and stay in 3rd place. After the turnaround, it is so cool because you get to see everyone who is in the race. Soooo many cheers were coming my way. Things like - "Cmon - looking strong, you are in 3rd place, keep it up." What a rush. In the last mile and a half we come up on people finishing the 5k and also all the incredible folks doing the walk. This was AMAZING! People in the walk wearing those shirts, holding signs, so many stories beaming brightly throughout that 1 mile stretch. It gave me energy! There was a moment I had where I was running through these thousands of people thinking, 'ha, I am running as fast as I possibly can, I am in 3rd place in a field of 800, and I am running through about 2,000 other people (doing the walk and 5k) - it was a crazy feeling and one I have never experienced. Those are always the best! I was trying to soak up every second and certainly every footstep I took!

So I ended up finishing with a time of 34:28 and placed 3rd overall. The pace I ran averaged out to be 5:33 which is very close to my goal pace of 5:30 so I will walk away happy with the effort I put in! Here is a link to the results: http://www.lin-mark.com/results/gear10k2011.txt

You know - for a guy who absolutely loves running, lost his Dad to colon cancer at a young age, and started a cancer foundation two years ago - this day was an AWESOME day for me. Although, I continue to go back to one of the points above - It's great to have these days, but it's also important to continue the day in and day out hard work we are all capable of whether it is in running, our jobs, raising our children, treating people well. It is important to make sure you have an awesome day every day!

Thanks for reading and I hope to see you soon :)