A return to an old friend

It's been three years since I've run the Charles Harris 10K.
And this morning, I wasn't so sure it wouldn't be four years before I ran it again. Winter weather in Atlanta (meaning ice in the forecast) threatened to cancel the race this morning, but temps above freezing and the rain holding off until just after the race ended meant we were on this morning!
I looked up my race time three years ago, and I was two minutes slower this morning, which was disappointing. This is such a flat, net downhill race, that I was hoping to do better.
I felt really good until about mile 4 and then I seemed to lose steam. I ate an energy gel, which helped a little bit, but I got to mile 6 of this 6.2 and wanted to walk. My right IT band was angry!
This race and I have a bit of a history.
I remember the first year I ran it with my running buddy Jessica. It was 37 degrees and we complained about that! Ha! Now, I consider 37 degrees BALMY during the winter.
This year's start was 33, by the way.
Then there was the 2006 race.
I was diagnosed with cancer 9 years ago tomorrow. That year, in 2006, the Charles Harris 10K was three days after I was diagnosed, and I decided to run the race anyway, even though I hadn't slept in three days. (Cancer diagnosis should completely come with anti-anxiety medication!)
Dear God, it poured down rain that year, at 45 degrees, the whole way. Not a sprinkle, but a downpour.
At that time, several friends ran it with me (I should mention I have absolutely AWESOME friends) and we had my traditional breakfast afterward. It made a really bad time so much more tolerable.
This year, as I ran, I thought back only briefly to that time. Honestly, cancer thoughts, thankfully, are fewer and fewer.
I won't say cancer thoughts (and fears of recurrence) don't come out from time to time.
The blessing is, those thoughts are fewer.
So here's to the Charles Harris 10K! It was good to return to an old friend, even one with which I've had a checkered past.