During my first TNT race ever, I ran a long while on the course around a couple of girls tethered together. I have mentioned this before. One girl was (is) blind, the other was her guide. The same happened this weekend. And older gentleman, maybe mid 60's, was tethered to a much younger man who was the guide. It the perfect summary of the enduring spirit of compassion in us. It does not matter what our obstacles are, it does not matter if we fail. What matters is that we give everything we can to surmount those obstacles.
My race did not go well. I ran a half marathon which is 13.1 miles (or 21 kilometers, since I was in Canada). In training for this race, I ran that distance or more a few times. The last time, just over a month before race weekend, I started from downtown Portland on the waterfront. I ran my 13 miles with an average pace of 9 minutes and 47 seconds per mile. That is a total of less than 2 hours and 10 minutes for the half marathon. It will not win any races, but it is starting to be a respectable race time. I was so happy with that performance and just wanted to keep about the same for this race. Sadly, I could not deliver this weekend.
At around 4 miles, as we were running through China Town, I realized I was running slow. It took me a bit to be okay with that but I was not far off from my desired target pace. As long as I kept the pace I was at, I would still finish with a time with which I would be happy. At 8 miles, I was still okay. By 10 miles, I tanked. I knew I could not keep it going and questioned if I could run much at all. Maybe around mile 11, another of my coaches saw me.
Let me stop the narrative here. As TNT protocol, coaches are on the course running back and forth to give course support to the TNT participants. When there are enough chapters from all over, it works out really well. Almost every mile, I saw a coach. They all check on us, ask if there is anything we need like a Gu shot or salt or bandaids, etc.. They run with us to cheer us on. They go back to find another and do the same. Most coaches run well over a full marathon in a day doing this. It is amazing.
…And now, back to our story. Coach Kevin saw me at mile 11-ish. He told me later that I scared the sh-- out of him when he saw me because I was completely white. Yes, I am caucasian, but he meant colorless in my face. He walked with me all the way to the "chute" which is the gated area approaching the finishing line. A number of times in that last two miles, I had to grab onto Kevin's arm or should to keep from falling over. My legs would buckle a little. Sometimes I could not feel them at all, and just trusted the natural rhythm of walking to keep them going under me. When he left my side at the chute, and he did not want to but coaches are not allowed to continue beyond there, he waited and watched me to make sure I was still going more straight than weaving side to side.
I made it across the finish line, someone put the finisher's medal over my head, I went straight to my bag which had water and pbjs, then sat down right there on the sidewalk. I recovered well enough to stand then go check in/out at the TNT tent. I had made it. I finished a torturous half marathon.
After I recovered a little, I began walking back along the course. Many of my teammates that had finished were planning on going back to cheers others on, run with them if they could, and hang out. I would find a place along the way to stand and cheer, knowing I could not run with anyone. I stood near the mouth of the chute and cheered runners on, cheering extra for other TNT runners regardless of if I knew them or not. That's just the way TNT works. One woman came close and was arm in arm with a non TNT runner. I was just about to cheer when I realized the TNT runner was carrying the other woman. I left my post, grabbed the unoccupied arm and lifted. Both woman said "Oh thank you!" The woman in the middle, Harriet, called us her two guardian angels. We carried her the rest of the way.
As we got closer, the crowd cheered her on. They were probably cheering us as well. A lot of photographers took our picture. I had recovered quickly and well enough that I had no problems in helping. The mirrored glass buildings towering over us, the crowd cheering, drawing ever closer to the finish line, it was beautiful. The medics met us with a wheel chair just on the other side of the finish line. We got her in the chair, I hugged her, then I walked back to my stuff I left on the ground when I jumped in to help.
From numerous experiences along my journey through the last few years, I can see where others have lifted me when I fall. In turn, one of the few things I wish I could do with my life is to hold people's hands when they fall. To lift them up when they are weak or they fail themselves. I wish to encourage all, and instill in them the magnitude of their self worth. Coach Kevin did that again for me this race. I look forward to never needing the physical hand up again. But I may never stop needing the emotional help up. This time, with this half marathon, I was able to help another so shortly after being helped.
My performance in this race was severely impaired. Stupid cancer. But my performance in this race was everything I really want. I finished the race, and I helped others do the same. So many of my teammates had a hard run for them, not running as well as they would have liked. To each of them, I cannot express my gratitude enough for all they did accomplish out there. As a team, we cheered each other on, we ran with each other, we encouraged others not a part of Team In Training, we lifted those who had fallen.
I believe we are meant to be great. To them, to my teammates, I say you are. You are truly "awesome" people. Thank you for all you have done and continue to do.
Go Team!
Early in the race, we could now see the Vancouver skyline.
Yes, a man in a chicken suit as we cross the finish line.
Team In Training cheering people on. Here Becky (back), Julie (middle) and Christine (front) from the Oregon SW Washington Idaho Montana (OSWIM) chapter.
Front Row: Coach Kevin, Coach Mike, me (Ryan), Julie, Amy,
Second Row: Becky, Matt, Christine, Kayla, Jen, Skye, Erin (LLS Staff), Megan, Coach Michelle,
Third Row: The Photo Bombers doing an Egyptian pose, Krysty, Captain Mike,
And Joe rising above us all.
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