I attended the San Diego AIDS Walk/Run 2009 on Sunday September 27th, 2009. It was a 10K race for runners, and the weather was perfect for running.
Preparation
I generally train for long distances and wasn’t planning on racing that Sunday. I ran 20 miles the afternoon before the race, so I felt prepared. My muscles were prepared, but my running form was not up to par with my body. Several parts of my body were sore well after the long run, and the soreness was exacerbated by the race.
Race Day
I arrived late and barely made it to the start line in time for my start time to get recorded — just as they were pulling away the start line! I spent most of the race trying to catch up with my friend Ray, whom I had failed to sync up with before the race began. I sweated away several miles and sprinted through the finish… only to find, I had at some point passed him and he finished behind me!
I finished the race in 48:31, about a minute slower than last year. Even having completed a marathon since last year, my body was not up to the stress of a long run before a race. Lesson learned.
Afterthoughts
As I walked along the quilt and photo exhibits that were at the San Diego AIDS walk, I couldn’t help feeling sad. There are so many victims to this illness. The surprising thing was that everyone at the AIDS walk looked so upbeat and happy. I realized that, the way to fight illness is not to mourn over it. You can mourn the victim, but the point of the AIDS Walk is to celebrate their lives, celebrate the present , and also help support new victims through fund raising. It’s amazing what a community can do to help its members cope with the calamities of life.
