Do Life (Unofficial) 5k Run.
From the moment I knew I’d be in New York City, I knew I wanted to attend this run. I knew I wanted to support my friend, Ben, and his ‘Do Life’ movement, but I honestly had no idea what to expect.
Truth be told, I kind of thought no one would show up but me, and then Ben and I would laugh about it, decide we were too lazy to run anyways, and then go get a diet coke.
However, walking towards Columbus circle that morning, in my skintight tights (whoa, ps), feeling super naked, I suddenly got SO NERVOUS. I sincerely think had I not known Ben, I would have turned around and headed home. I saw a small crowd, and shyly approached them, because omigoodness, you guys, meeting strangers, and then running with them? Scary stuff.
The five or six of us early birds crossed the road together, and then played the waiting game by the monument. By this point I was already impressed with Ben’s turnout. And my nervousness was slowly turning into excitement.
“What’s your name?”
“What’s your blog?”
“Where you from?”
That’s all it took, and suddenly we were running partners, there to support each other.
I suddenly looked around and was surrounded by 44 other Do Lifers, truly an amazing sight; complete strangers, coming together to accomplish one thing, get from point A to point B, with 5k standing between us.
I volunteered to run at the back, or what I like to call, The-Cool-Section, and I can’t even tell you how cool it was. Running with new runners, hearing about their big goals, Sarah, Amy, Rob and I pretty much owned the paths of Central Park. We had lost a combined weight of 160 pounds, and trudged forward every step hearing each other’s carb-loving to ass-reducing stories.
Out of all the runs I ever did, this was my favourite.
When Ben announced Rob’s 5k PR, I was like a beaming mother! So happy for him, and it made me remember my first 5k (it was around 50 min too). The running skill level, that day, ranged from first-5k-ever, to just-qualified-for-Boston (say What?), yet everyone was on the same level.
Afterwards we dined on Whole Foods cuisine, and listened to each other’s stories, getting inspired, and making new friends (o.k., let’s be honest, “making new friends” sounds lame, but it wasn’t, it was really, really cool. Brownie Promise.).
If the Do Life tour heads to a city near you, I HIGHLY recommend you go. It wasn’t an organized race, with bag check or medals of gold, just people coming together who had at some point or another, decided to change their lives for the better and simply just, Do Life.
