Race for the Cure-5K Fun

Saturday May 1st, 2010





My Mother-in-Law, Karolyn, goes up to Salt Lake City each year and participates in the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure 5K and fun walk each year with Lisa. I have thought about doing this each year so we can show our support for Karolyn and all that she has been through, but just never got it done. So this year I finally decided to actually do it. I signed Karolyn, Chris, Ethan, Katelee and myself up! I started to get excited because I signed myself up for the timed 5K.... I also got excited because as the race approached I felt a sense of the importance of educating my kids on this subject and letting them know that Grandma Nelson had been a fighter and made it through this disease. I had my co-worker pick us up some "In Celebration of" signs for us to complete and put on our backs for the race. We each decorated our own in our own special way. Here is mine......

And here is Ethan coloring his....

And here is the final product... (Ethan determines his grandparents names based on their dog's name, so Grandma Nelson is Grandma Snickers!)

And here is Chris's sign......

So we got up bright and early on Saturday and headed out with Grandma Nelson to the race which was held down town. After finally getting parked and heading away from the start line and then finally towards the start line my nerves were almost out of control. I couldn't focus on the map to find the right way and started to get snappy with everyone. The last 5K I did was a church one and so I wasn't stressed about running or starting on time. As we got closer to the start I couldn't believe my eyes, there were TONS of people there.... What had I gotten myself into?

Here is just some of the people there...... Crazy!

So I got into the running crowd about a minute before it started and then after the gun was shot I realized that I was on the wrong side of the road.. So I made my way over to the right side and started the race. Wow, Everyone warned me that the first half mile would be weaving in and out of the crowd and finding my groove.... they were right and I couldn't believe how many people were already walking....

So after getting around those that were a bit slower and finding a good grove, I started looking around and thinking about why ALL these people were here. Lisa had told me before the race that I shouldn't read any ones shirts because they would make me cry. Well she was right, I started thinking about my mother-in-law and how much it must have sucked to have Breast Cancer and then I noticed a few peoples shirts that had "In Memory of" signs on them. Immediately my thoughts turned to how grateful I was that Karolyn had been able to fight and conquer so my kids are able to know their Grandma Nelson. All of a sudden I noticed tears coming down my cheeks.... How silly I might have looked to the outside world, but quite a few thoughts were drifting through my mind, such as 1. I hope we are able to find a cure soon, 2. Please don't let Katelee have to go through this, 3. Thoughts of all the women I know who have been affected by this disease, 4. Thank you Karolyn for fighting, 5. I can't believe how many people I know that have been affected by this, it's crazy and on and on....

Here are my kids waiting for me to finish the race.....Don't they look excited?

And here I am after finishing the race.... yes I was having problems breathing and I don't know why I put my arms out like that. My final time was 26:26.......Not to shabby!

Chippendale's was there to give all of the survivors flowers and I made sure to get a picture of Karolyn with them!

We walked around and picked up all the free stuff we could which included a KFC bucket hat that Katelee left on the ENTIRE time! She will still let us put it on her head and leave it there! Silly girl!

I know I may not share my feelings about my in-laws very much, I do love them with all my heart. I am so glad to be their daughter and thankful that they are so great. Karolyn once told me that while she was going though her cancer she often thought something like this, "Karolyn, you have grand kids you haven't met yet that you need to meet!" I am so grateful for the fighter in her so that she is in her grandchildren's life! They love their Ma Ma and Grama Snickers more than words can express!

Here's to Next years Race! :)