Just Keep Running

Topic: Share a story from your college years!

I have TWO! I'll share the other one about student teaching tomorrow! 

Just keep running… Just keep running….

I told my roommate, Jackie, “If I’m up tomorrow, I promise I’ll run the 5k with you.” 

I thought that was a pretty safe promise of not having to run, until my mom called at 7am in the morning inviting me to join her at my sister's track meet 2 hours away, later in the day. 

“MOM! Why didn’t you tell me? I have to work! I would have gotten a sub”

“We’ll I’m telling you now, sweetie.”

I lay in bed for a bit, deciding if I could make it to watch my sister and still make it back for work. I tired to go back to bed, but I was wide awake. 

With a sudden cringe, I remembered my promise. 

I hadn’t worked out in weeks. 

I went downstairs and found Jackie. She was excited to see me up.

“Are you going to run?” Jackie asked

“Ok. This is the deal. You find me some spandex and I’ll run.”

“Spandex?”

“You did tell me this was a Halloween 5K, right? And there was a prize for the best dressed runner, right?” 

I might as well look like a fool if I was going to run like one. Jackie found me some purple spandex which I paired with a blue swim suit and a purple super-hero towel cape. I was ready. We arrived at the 5k the only people wearing costumes. 

Jackie was wearing a Rastafarian hat which she took off when we got there. I eventually found a girl with cat ears and whiskers.  We picked up our race numbers and a map of the course. I immediately began to plan how I was going to cheat and skip parts of the course. At some point I got yelled at by some hardcore person because my number was on wrong. 

Did you hear me? I’m going to CHEAT!!! Muhahaha.

The race began and I couldn’t wait until the pack would spread out a little so I could walk and plan out how I was going to cheat. This took a little while, but just as I was planning my escape route, I heard from behind me,

“Watch out! I’m going to get you!”

I looked behind me to see one of the school’s Business professors.

“Today is my 60^th birthday and I’ve never felt better.”

Oh. God. 

And thus began a fight for my life and a race for my pride. I was not about to be beat by a semi out of shape 60 year-old man.  Even as a semi out of shape 22 year old girl, I WAS going to beat him. Did I mention I was wearing purple spandex, a swim suit and a purple towel cape?

Around every corner he was there, gaining speed. Sometimes I think he was even mocking me. Was this really happening? I was starting to feel a bit winded but I carried on. This was important. I threw out all my ideas about cheating and focused on how I was going to beat this old man. 

Slow and steady, slow and steady. You will not get beaten by a 60 year old. You will not get beaten by a 60 year old.

The end of the race was nearing. I poured on all the steam I had left. He was still no more than 10 yards behind me. 

Do it Kerry, do it. 

I finished ahead of the birthday boy!

And yet somehow I found it hard to celebrate. Just like you can’t be proud of taking candy from a baby, I couldn’t be proud of beating a sixty year old man in a three mile race. 

You live, you learn. 

My competition is in the green hoodie!

Check out that cape! Swimming Super Hero!