Race for the Cure 2009

Katie and I watching the start of the day's events from our hotel room window.

Taking time out to pose for a picture!

Wow, what can I say?! Downtown St. Louis was a sea of pink yesterday...some 65,000+ strong and proud. Whether they were survivors, friends and family of those who have battled the disease, or just those who are supporting the cause, I have never felt so much uplifting and support in my entire life. My family was there to support me: Jack and the kids of course, my mom and dad, my sisters (both with pregnant bellies, plus Ethan!), my Aunt Phyllis, and my cousin Dawn. I proudly wore my pink survivor t-shirt and walked in the Survivor Procession, led by honorary chairperson Hoda Kotb of the Today Show. The most special moment of the day, though, had to be meeting Melody...a girl who's breast cancer blog popped up in a Google search 9 months ago, and who I have gone to with so many questions in email after email. She has helped me so much and I was ecstatic when we found out we were going to be able to meet for the first time! We met at the Survivor's Pavilion before the festivities began and now that we have met, I feel like I can finally say that I have a new friend!

The 5K race began at 830am. Tyler decided that he wanted to run the race with me. We began right near the start line and when the horn sounded, we were off. Tyler was off faster than me, and before I knew it, my son who said he wanted to run the race "with me" was off and gone and I lost track of him rather quickly! But I was so excited when I passed the one mile mark and my time was 7:15!!! Holy cow! I thought, geez, no wonder I'm tired already! LOL At mile two marker, it was 15:45 and I crossed the finish line at 25 minutes! I was pumped...and exhausted! I've always said, "I'm not a fast runner, I'm an endurance runner!" I ended up being the 4th Survivor to cross the finish line...and VERY PROUDLY SO!

That's me back there! I'm almost there!!

It was a very busy, very emotionally draining day. I remember telling Jack within a day or two after I was diagnosed that I was going to "run the Komen race in STL next summer as a Survivor." For that day to be already be here is amazing. I am so thankful to God for carrying me through the last 9 months and sustaining me with a strength that I never knew I had. Thank you, too, ALL OF YOU and your prayers and your sweet comments that have lifted me up and propelled me forward. You'll never know how God has used each and every one of you to fulfill His promises, but He totally has. I love all of you. ((hugs))

"Faith is never the denial of reality; it is belief in a greater reality." - Beth Moore