A day of celebration

What a wonderful July 4th this has turned out to be.
I completed my 10th Peachtree Road Race 10K in Atlanta. That's 6.2 miles for you non runners. And in Atlanta, on July 4th, with 60,000 of your closest friends, that  is a hot run, my friends.
Here's me collecting my reward for the Peachtree Road Race, the coveted Peachtree Road Race T-shirt.

Me collecting the 2011 Peachtree Road Race T-shirt

Here I am this morning, looking a little more collected before the race.

Just before the start of Peachtree Road Race

And the fun surprise of the race, running into my friend Rachel on the MARTA train this morning. We did not plan this, but we ended up on the same train, same train car! I love serendipity.

Rachel and Lisa on MARTA train on way to race

Now, the found money portion of our story. Right after I started running the race, I noticed a quarter on the road, but I could not stop to pick it up for fear of being trampled by fellow Peachtree Road Race runners. I just hope some walker behind me found it. :)
I did find a penny on my way back to the MARTA train following the race, and I noticed a penny near the electrified rail in the station. I left that one for the MARTA maintenance crew.
My time today wasn't the greatest. Not my fastest, but, thankfully, not my slowest. I looked up all of my times for this race, and my best time was in 2005, when I ran 1:05:14.
Just a year later I ran half way through chemo, bald as a cue ball. My time for 2006 was better than today's time. !!!
Here's me with friend Ethan after that race.

Look, Ma! No eyebrows!

OK, I'm being a bit silly about a serious topic.
Running today's race let me realize how far I've come from that frightening time five years ago. That I'm still here, still running, might be seen as something close to a miracle. Maybe it is.
I've heard people say that cancer is a gift. I'm here to tell you it is NOT. There is NO WAY cancer has been a gift to me. And I think when people say that, what they really mean is not that cancer itself is the gift, but what happens as a result of cancer can be.
Look at that photo of me and Ethan. I would not know Ethan any other way than through cancer, and running. I was walking back to the MARTA station after the race that year when Ethan and his mother, Raquel, began chatting with me. Raquel snapped this picture. It is the only one I have of my running during cancer. I cherish this photo.
There are friends I've made as a result of cancer and cancer treatment that I would know no other way than this awful disease. That is the gift.
It's the same with running. I have friends that I know no other way than through running. Running is a gift to me, as well.
Today's gift was completing the Peachtree Road Race in 1:21:01 and having loads of fun doing it.
So I have a lot to celebrate today. To my cancer, and running, friends out there, celebrate with me.