This will be my first 5K ever. Obviously, I ran more than 5K during the marathon, but it will be inspirational for a different reason. Yes, the marathon was an accomplishment. I'm extremely proud of myself for starting that journey and seeing it through to the end. I realize now that running will always be a part of my life (as long as I am able) - I enjoy it and it keeps my healthy. I did fight cancer while training for the marathon and it is this reason that this race will be more emotional. It is for Moffitt, it runs past Moffitt - even going to pick up my race bib on Wednesday was hard. It was hard to see that building, it's hard to see the patients and their families - something I was a part of just over three months ago. It is not fun to realize how many people cancer affects - I will most definitely cry (I have at every race). It will be different this time - it will be simultaneously hard and inspiring seeing all the survivors running yet that is why I'm taking part - so that there are more survivors. I'm grateful to be one of those survivors. I recently had a shocking reminder that some people do not make it through skin cancer.
I will get a PR tomorrow, but I will also celebrate my journey so far this year, be grateful for making it through my diagnosis, be hopeful that I won't have to go through it again, and be inspired by those around me who have faced much worse, knowing that I have a larger "family" out there that fights for me and everyone else affected by cancer.