Weekend in Wisconsin, Part One: Race for the Cure

We spent a long weekend in Madison, Wisconsin, visiting our daughter. We timed the visit so we could participate in the Komen Race for the Cure. When I hit the 5-year mark, our daughter, who had never been a runner, revealed that she had been training for several months to run in the Race for the Cure. We have been participating ever since. She runs, we walk.

We left her house on time. Many other people left their houses on time, too. But we all got stuck on the exit ramp of the Beltline. There was nothing to do but to sit there waiting until it was our turn to exit. Well, except for the guy who was a very determined runner. We saw him get out of his car (apparently driven by someone else), run up the ramp, across the bridge, and on to the Alliant Energy Center.

Eventually we arrived, although later than anticipated. This meant that we had less time to spend out in the drizzle. We also missed the Survivor picture. Worst of all, the pink plastic superheroine capes were gone by the time we got to the sponsor area. Drat! I spent the rest of the morning with Cape Envy. It still stings. With a pink plastic superheroine cape, I could have walked very fast. Very, very fast. This is what a cape looks like. Very cool, isn't it? And very powerful, I'm sure.



The weather was cool and drizzly before the race began. By the time it started, the drizzle had stopped, and it was overcast with just a few minutes of sunshine. I borrowed a long sleeved shirt from my daughter to wear under my race shirt. This was our fastest walk ever. To start with, we were closer to the front of the masses of walkers. There were more than 11,000 runners and walkers and more than 900 Survivors. Once we got past the strollers and wagons (who were supposed to be in the short walk), we kept passing people all along the way. Our daughter, who had finished well before us, found us as we approached the finish line. She and I were able to run across the finish line together, as we did last year. (Photo cropped to protect the innocent.)



I was honored to walk in celebration of Pam T, a Wisconsin online beading buddy who will soon complete her treatment. She is an amazing and brave woman and she deserves to be celebrated. She must have her own superheroine cape. To Pam T., I say, "You go, Girl!"



But I still have Cape Envy.