“…we can put ourselves in positions where… we have broken the ceiling of our own future expectations.“

This post is a bit late as I just completed the second race in this 3-race series, but I wanted to recount.

In April I ran the B.A.A. 5k. This race was profound for me. Most races I have done have held significance for me for special reasons. The Heady Trotter was my first ever road race. I proved to myself I can actually step onto a course and run with others. I could and can do hard things. The Michael J Fox Foundation Run for a Cure was the first time I ever ran 5k straight, without taking walking intervals. The Acadia 10k was my first ever 10k. This one I am calling the first step of my biggest leap. That leap is the B.A.A. distance medley, which is a series of the 5k, 10k, and half marathon. That my friends, is me stepping out with a leap.

The B.A.A. 5k did something different to me, though. It wasn’t my fastest pace, I did not feel the strongest, and my body didn’t feel as good as it has in prior races. But a mental shift happened in me at this race. It could be because there were 10,000 runners. It could be because it is on marathon weekend and you get to pass under the marathon finish. It also could be because there are tons of people cheering you on. But in this race, I felt I belonged.

Belonging is a long topic that I want to discuss more in the future. It is so important for somebody trying to attain new goals and work at a sport they may be new to. All along the 5 kilometers of this course, people cheered. They cared as much about the fastest folks as the slowest. They cared as much about the most athletic builds to those folks striving to improve their build.

The course starts between Boston Common and the Boston Gardens. It turns onto the beautiful tree lined Commonwealth Ave. before hooking a 180 about 2.5k out. The course is flat and lovely. At one point, the road dips down below and overpass that acts as almost a tunnel, at this point hundreds of runners pass each other going either direction and thunderously cheer each other on. This spot almost brought me to tears. Think belonging. As you are going about your return trip you don’t stay on comm, but you take the storied right on Hereford St. and then left on Boylston. You see Boylston lined with all of the marathon signage and décor. This may sound silly, but I was thinking about all of the stories of marathon runners finishing this stretch. As you pass under the finish structure you think ‘maybe someday I can do this on Patriot’s day?’

Maybe that is the other major takeaway. That we can put ourselves in positions where we are lucky enough to catch a glimpse of our future. We can see a future us that past us never thought could happen. We are able to see, not the impossible, but that for which we can work and achieve. We have broken the ceiling of our own future expectations.

That was the feeling. As I write this, I feel the tingling sensation of a lightbulb moment. I saw and experienced a future that can be within my reach. Despite a lifetime of people telling me why not, I knew and know I can.

As we go through the finish line for the marathon, big signs remind us that we are not done. Snap out of it! We are now closing out the course and will soon turn left to get over the finish line and get our medal. The crowds do not let up.

In summary, this race meant more than a race to me. It allowed me to feel feelings I have not allowed myself to feel. It brought me a sensation future potential. There were no moments of I am ‘just’ or ‘only’, but they were moments of simply joy. Smiles. Laughs. Anticipation. And maybe some sweat.