A few years ago, I needed a goal – some finish line I could run to, something in which I could find inspiration to rouse me from my sofa. Fortunately, the Sacramento region is home to a bevy of walk-run events, most of them geared to the novice. And I found one that not only helped get me in shape, it taught me a lesson in perseverance, courage and strength.

 

Race for the Cure is May 8

Held annually on the Saturday before Mother’s Day, the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, a 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) walk-run event, draws hundreds to Cal Expo every year to raise funds to find a cure for breast cancer. A nasty condition that has affected women in my own family, breast cancer has a deep reach nationwide – 192,370 new cases of invasive breast cancer were estimated to have occurred among women in the United States during 2009, according to Susan G. Komen for the Cure (formerly the Susan G. Komen Foundation).

Since my first Race for the Cure in 2004, I have become an event regular, readily signing up friends and family to join me. Superficially, the race has given me much in the way of healthy living habits: Since my first step in the ’04 race, I work out, eat better, and I now run in a number of events across the country; on a deeper level, the race has had a profound effect on me. Running the event with breast cancer survivors and families affected by the condition has provided much in the way of inspiration and made me thankful for being active – not just in body, but in life.

Thus, I relay the challenge to you: Get up and get over your fitness obstacles – and in doing so, fight breast cancer. To register for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure (held this year on Saturday, May 8), go to www.komensacramento.org  and click the “Race for the Cure” tab.

 

E-mail Ryan Rose at ryanrose@valcomnews.com.