It's not called Chapel Flat

On Saturday morning the alarm went off at 5:15. (It seemed wrong to me as well.) I pushed Jeff out of bed and we quietly put on our running attire and slipped out the door. Our friend, Tim, came to read the paper while the girls slept in. We met Nancy at Starbucks (which was still closed) shortly after 6. I like to think that we were just fashionably late but at 6:00 a.m., it's just rude. Sorry, Nancy.

We ran into my sister and her brother-in-law, Daryl, when we were parking at Chapel Hill and we all made our way to the start line. You could call this my "reentry" into competitive running ... except my times aren't competitive. The gun went off at 7:30 and we took off running around Chapel Hill. The challenge: The Tar Heel Ten Miler. It was in the 40's and beautiful. The azaleas, tulips and dogwoods are all blooming in unison and some of the neighborhoods we ran through were like running inside of a Southern Living spread ... except with serious elevation changes.

After 3 miles of running, I really wanted to turn left with all the runners who were just signed up for 4 miles ... but Nancy and Jeff surrounded me like bodyguards. They ushered me on toward mile 5. We ran past the famous Dean Dome and the Old Well. We ran down the bar district of Franklin Street. It was really beautiful. It was about this time I noticed that there was this man in his late 40's or so that passed us ... in a wheel chair. I think his name was Wayne. We'd pass each other on the hills, and he didn't have a fitness wheel chair. He'd roll down the hill past us and we'd catch him on the next one.

Much of the course was the same course that I walked with the girls several weeks ago through the Get Real and Heel program, which benefits breast cancer survivors. So, at some places along the route Nancy and Jeff would be talking to me and I was completely zoned out considering where I was a year ago (bald and in the worst of the chemo treatments). I considered how much my faith has grown and been tested in the last year. Running between Nancy and Jeff was a real treat. They were very encouraging when I wanted to walk every hill (and there are a lot of them) and I reflected as I walked/jogged how much these two (among others) have helped me get through the year. Not only were they coaching me through the run on Sat. but they were two of my biggest coaches last year and I'm really grateful for that. Wayne kept passing us and I wanted to say something clever but I couldn't think of anything. It was like a chant in my head, "This is Chapel HILL ... not Chapel FLAT." Have I mentioned it was hilly?

As I ran/walked/crawled up mile 9, which was similar in topography to Mt. Mitchell, I thought about what I would say as we crossed the finish line and how I should thank them both and let them know how much I care about them and how grateful I am to have them surrounding me. By the last mile we were running again and as we ran through the parking lot near Kenan Stadium the man in the wheelchair went zooming past us and asked us, "Are you going to let a fat man in a wheel chair beat you?" I was shocked. I'd wanted to tell this man how impressed I was with his stamina, endurance and discipline and suddenly he was talking smack ... so I asked him, "Are you going to let a cancer survivor beat you?" I don't know who was more surprised. I was stunned and embarrassed that I said that out loud. I can't imagine the trials and inconveniences that this man endures.

We sprinted through toward the tunnel and unfortunately for him it was an incline so we beat him to the path around the football field. It was really neat to see the inside of the stadium (there were hedges planted there I think ... odd). Our faces were on the Jumbo tron as we crossed the finish line and then it was over. They handed us our medal and we were done. As we made our way out of the stadium I saw the man in the wheelchair again and I congratulated him on a good finish. It was about 9:20.

So, that's my race report. It was a great run. It physically hurt and I'm not in the kind of shape I'd like to be. But, I'm really grateful that I got to run with one of my running buddies and my husband. More than anything I'm very appreciative to all the people who helped me get there Tim, Stacy, Nancy, Jean, Stephanie and my family -- Thank you to everyone! I certainly didn't do it alone. I'm hopeful that I'll get a chance to go back next year and run it again using my time this year as my benchmark. And, of course, I'll try to encourage more of my running buddies to join us. You know who you are.

... now I just have to decide if I want to run the New York marathon this fall ... anyone have a contact at ING who can help me get in?