Success at the Komen race

What a blast we had this morning in the Susan Komen Race for the Cure! Six members of the house of Perschau entered, three as walkers and three as runners. Five of the six had never entered an organized run/walk event before. Everyone finished in great shape. We were among an announced 30,000 people who were on hand down at Union Station.

The run went about how I expected. My granddaughter Angela and son Justin and I started about midway in a huge throng of walkers and runners, so the early going was difficult. I tried to keep the three of us running in a straight line, but Angela impatiently zigzagged through the crowd. She also pushed the pace, and at several points during the opening mile I had to slow her down. The course had changed a little this year, and I knew exactly what was waiting for us in the last mile: the long climb up the Broadway overpass. People look at it and think it's nothing. Then they run two miles to get to it and find out it can be a deal-breaker.

We eventually ran most of the first mile on the sidewalk so we'd have a little room to ourselves, and hit the first split in 11:42. That was a shade faster than I thought was wise. I really wanted to keep it to 12 and hope everyone had a lot left for the finish. It was pretty close, though. At the end of the first mile we walked for about 30 seconds through the aid station.

Mile two was uphill most of the way. Our crew was feeling pretty good, though, and half way up they were having an easier time than they or I thought they would. Still, I thought I could detect a little more concern on their faces. I definitely didn't have to coach them very hard to keep the pace at 12.

Justin giving the thumb up, me, Angela, Dawn. In front are Kay and Jaden.

By the time we finished mile two we'd crested the hill and reality was setting in. That had been a long, tough climb. We walked about a minute, then cruised downhill toward Southwest Blvd. Angela wanted to go slow on the long downhill and then charge the Broadway overpass, which we could see up ahead. Justin just wanted to maintain an even pace, which is what we did.

As we hit the base of the Broadway overpass, the one-mile walk route merged with us and the street was clogged. We found a little extra room on the sidewalk and went that way. Revived after the downhill, Angela forged ahead, but the bridge hill was doing its number on Justin. He plowed ahead, though, motivated by our proximity to the finish and a strong aversion to crap from his buddies. He made it over the top and down the hill to the corner of Pershing and Broadway. The finish was maybe 200 yards ahead. Angela was 30 yards in front of us, but she came back so we could lock arms with each other and cross the line together. The official photographer better have that picture.

Afterward both were rightfully proud of their first 5k. I said something about how happy and proud I was to be with them when they did it. It was undoubtedly inadequately stated. I just hope it's something they both remember for a long time. I will.

The walkers all did the full 5k, too. That was my wife, Kay, daughter-in-law Dawn, and grandson Jaden. Our support team was my son, Mark, grandson Jace and granddaughter Arianna. Everyone did a great job and had a super time. -- Rob