So it was no surprise that this morning's Race Against Homelessness 5K, which benefits the Atlanta Mission homeless shelter, was 21 degrees at the start.
Can you believe I talked my friend Michelle into this?
All smile before the start!
Michelle with the Atlanta SkyView Ferris wheel in the background
Me with the SkyView in the background
We did this race together last year, and what struck me was it was cold (not as cold as today, but cold) last year, too, and the race director delayed the start of the race by about 20 minutes because of a glitch in the race number pick-up. More people than expected turned out for last year's race, which was a really nice problem to have!A collective groan went up when the race director announced the delay last year. Then he reminded all of us that we get to go home to a warm house when the race is over, and the folks we were running for do not. Puts it all into perspective.
So today, as cold as it was, I did not complain. It was really bitter out. Wind chill in the single digits. I was wearing two sets of gloves and I could not feel my fingers.
But I kept reminding myself that I do not have to suffer through those temps for long. I cannot imagine living out on the streets in these temperatures. I thought of the single mothers with children, who have no place to turn. I cannot imagine their anguish.
So I was happy to run this race, as cold as it was, and to raise money to end homelessness in Atlanta. It's a race we must win.
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