Sunday Sweats: Pinky Swear 5K recap

In the month or two that I've been back to running more regularly, I've been anxious to do another race. I wanted to see if the frequent runs had helped my performance. And, more than that, I just love the running community and the race atmosphere. I was ready to be back in it.

Sean and I both set our sights on the Pinky Swear 5K a few months ago. We know children who have battled or are battling cancer and we wanted to show our support for those kiddos and others like them. The Pinky Swear Foundation was founded years ago when a young cancer warrior named Mitch overheard the family next to him in the hospital talk about how they couldn't afford Christmas. For Mitch, that was unacceptable, and he let his dad know it. He withdrew all the money from his savings account ($6K at the time) and put it in envelopes for other kids around the pediatric unit. As they finished the last room, Mitch told his dad they had to do it again the next year. The reality was they both knew Mitch wouldn't be around the following year, but the young boy asked his father to carry on the tradition. Dad did a pinky swear with Mitch, promising to help kids with cancer for as long as he lived. Today, the Pinky Swear Foundation does more than just Christmas surprises. It also uses funds raised to help families pay mortgages, utility bills, etc. while their child deals with cancer treatments.

This year was the first year of the Pinky Swear 5K. In the past, it's just been a kids' triathalon event, but they wanted to reach more people. And they definitely did. There were more than 1,000 runners at the inaugural event. Amazing!!!

The weather for the race was pretty nice. Although it was a bit humid, it was only in the upper 60s. So it was bearable. The opening ceremonies took quite a bit of time and were pretty emotional, so I was feeling kind off when the run started. About half a mile in, I got minor back spasms but I talked myself through them. The further I ran, the better I was feeling. My pace varied, but I was definitely moving along pretty well.

My unofficial time was 33:07. They didn't chip time the race, so that's based on my Garmin.

I was really happy with my final time. It's only about 30 seconds from my PR. And I wasn't too far behind Sean, who ran competitively in high school and college (although he hasn't ran much in the past year).

I was also happy to be able to run for our two favorite cancer heroes -- Ava (who recently lost her battle with cancer at 11) and Max (who was born with cancer and is currently doing well).

I felt very inspired during the race. And I'm sure my extra training recently has helped as well.

Now, I need to look for my next race.

+++++

Last week's workouts
Sunday - Pinky Swear 5K!!
Monday - Cardio with Colby (30 mins)
Tuesday - Strength workout (30 mins)
Wednesday - Group run/walk (30 mins)
Thursday - Barre with Britt (30 mins)
Friday - Off
Saturday - Off

I'll grade my September fitness goals next week!