Race for the Cure

Hello all! I survived the race! I had no idea what an ordeal it would be, but it was worth it!

65,000 people participated, which made me feel really good. I didn't know so many people cared! I had only two supporters with me, but they were good and loyal ones, so that made me feel good too. I expected to get all emotional and cry and potentially have a nervous breakdown or something, but I didn't feel that way at all. The only time I felt remotely choked up was when Susan told me it made her sad to see all the "I walk in celebration of..." and "I walk in remembrance of..." signs. I guess I thought I'd feel really attached and connected, but I somehow just didn't. Maybe it's because it's easy to feel lost in the crowd when there are 65,000 people. Maybe it's because being sad about any of it means being sad for me, and I don't want to be sad.

Anyway, in true Carrie-and-Susan fashion, we were running a little late and didn't know what we were getting ourselves into. Well, Susan didn't know how crazy crowded it was going to be, and I did know but failed to make a plan. We had trouble finding a parking space, and once we did we had to practically run to the start. We didn't know that with a gajillion people participating, it didn't matter at all if you were on time! Our parking place was probably about a mile from the start, so in the end we probably walked 5 miles for the cure. They'd better find a damn cure because we did extra! Walking three miles usually takes me about 45 minutes or so, but when half the world is walking with you, it takes about 2 hours. It ended up being a lot of time on my feet, more than usual, and the sun helped tire me out. I was exhausted by the end!

Enough of the blah blah blah (I really put the blah in blog, huh?), here are some photos!

Check out this video to get an impression of how many people were at the start. Keep in mind, this was the second race! Sorry in advance if you get motion sickness...

Here we are, ready to Race for the Cure!

Here's the Starting Line...

And we're finally racing!

Matt and his friend. Nice bunny ears!

Even dogs can Race for the Cure! I couldn't get over this dog in shoes!

Here's a bunch of racers against the Denver skyline. Hey Christopher-- Fuze Healthy Infuzions was a sponsor, and they gave out pink capes that said "Fuze for the Cure." I thought you would have enjoyed that!

Here's Susan, contemplating taking the Fort Collins exit and leaving the crowd behind...

My head started to get really hot in my wig, so I took it off and walked "pirate style." This photo was taken near the end of the race, so I made a good pirate face to show I was keeping strong. Arr matey!

The last leg of the race... this will give you an idea of what 65,00o people could look like!

The Finish Line! A sight we thought we'd never see!

I took this picture myself, so please ignore my double chin! We're finally at the finish line!