Last night we celebrated Ryan’s birthday. He is turning 28 on Wednesday, so my family took advantage of our visit this weekend and surprised him with a special dinner (crab cakes!), homemade marble cake and presents.
I told my mom she did a great job of finding masculine birthday wrapping paper. I’ve been known to give Ryan birthday presents in pink,floral wrapping paper… or Christmas paper. Hey, gifts are gifts, right!?
The cake was the best part of the meal and I went back for seconds of cake and ice cream. Perfect fuel for the night before a big race!
Race for the Cure 10K St. Petersburg
A 6 a.m. wake up call had everyone awake and bustling around before the sun came up. Ryan, my sister and I registered to run the Race for the Cure 10K in St. Pete in honor of my mom and her battle with breast cancer.
My mom wore a special bright pink survivor shirt to the race and participated in the survivor walk with around 100 other breast cancer survivors.
The weather was surprisingly cool and absolutely perfect for a race. It was the coolest morning of the season so far and that definitely helped light a fire in the runners.
The atmosphere of the race was so energetic, but also very emotional with many people running in memory of loved ones who passed away from breast cancer and others running for those who are currently fighting the disease or been through the intense treatment.
This race was a big deal to my family because it fell on the exact day that my mom had a double mastectomy three years ago. I remember running in the Race for the Cure three years ago when she was first diagnosed and being so incredibly inspired by all of the survivors at the race. They gave me hope that my mom could and would come out on top even though her cancer was in an aggressive stage.
Today’s race was also a big deal for my sister because she set a personal goal to train for the race and run the entire 10K without stopping – her longest distance to date!
Leslie was quite nervous for the race but finished incredibly strong and right around 66 minutes. That is a seriously AMAZING time! I am so incredibly proud of her.
I really enjoyed the race course except for one terribly long straightaway that was an out-and-back… basically one mile out and one mile back. It seemed to go on forever, but it also gave me a chance to look for Leslie and Ryan and see them running along as well! (Ryan ran the first three miles with me before taking off and running like a mad man for the final 3.2 miles.)
I was actually quite surprised with my race time when I ran through the finish line!
Sub-nine minute miles, baby! My personal goal was simply to finish the 6.2 miles in under 60 minutes, so I was very pleased with my time.
After the race we took some time to walk around and take advantage of the free food (salted bagels = yum!) and giveaways.
We got in the car to head back home but waited for quite a while to get out of our parking garage since there were still a ton of people walking and others trying to leave as well.
Once we finally got on the road, we made a pit stop for pumpkin spice Frappuccinos before making our way home.
They tasted even more “pumpkiny” than I remember from last year, which is a very good thing!
Time to shower. We have a birthday BBQ to attend in a little bit.
I hope you’re enjoying your weekend!
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Sounds like a great start to Saturday 🙂
and I had NO idea you could get Pumpkin Spice Frappuccinos! That may have to happen in my life today.
Congrats another yet another super-successful race Julie! 🙂 Enjoy the rest of your weekend. PS: Out of curiosity, what was Ryan’s time?
he ran the first half with me and then ran the second three miles himself. he said he finished right around 50 minutes.
official times will be posted later today online, i think!
Holy speed demon! 😀
Great race recap and congrats on your time! But even more importantly, I’m so happy your mom is a survivor, I LOVED her shirt!!! What an inspiration 🙂
What an inspiring race and congrats to all of you for finishing!
Congrats to you and your sister on your time! Good job! I love running the Race for the Cure in honor of my Grandmother, so inspiring! The crab cakes look really good! yum!
Wow, inspiring, congradulations, on the race, and the birthdayboy of course!! 28, so young! 🙂
Woohoo!!! Congrats to all 3 of you on finishing! Race for the Cure series are incredible. I participated in one last year and was overwhelmed and inspired by all the participants running for such a great cause.
We started out this morning with Cross Fit! It was great.. I posted a ton of stuff on ways to support breast cancer yesterday. Hopefully everyone does something for the cause!
Congrats on your race! I ran a race this morning too! It was an 8K..which, according to my sister’s Garmin, ended up being about 4.8 miles. I finished in 48 minutes, and I was happy with the time, considering I don’t usually run long distances!
that’s awesome! congrats on such a great time, too!
Congrats to you all on the race, and your mom for beating breast cancer!
I’m doing a 5k run for the cure tomorrow in Ottawa (apparently we could have snow-rain showers – eek!
Today I read a couple articles in my local paper about the Pink Ribbon campaign and the overuse of the ribbon and the commodification of the campaign to end breast cancer. I would love to know what you and your family think about it. I have my own personal opinions but having not been personally affected by breast cancer, I would appreciate the perspective of someone who has.
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/life/Pink+fatigue/5484442/story.html
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/life/your+pink+Breast+cancer+victims+with+overuse+iconic+ribbon/5484108/story.html
Thanks!
So happy for your mom, family, and other survivors. Praying for the others fighting it. Enjoy the rest of your family weekend and Happy Birthday to Ryan!
So inspirational… I hope to one day run/walk in this race. And the weather was perfect this morning…well still is too! Finally getting some cooler weather here in Florida!!
Happy belated birthday Ryan!
Congratulations on a great race! Sub-nine minute miles? That’s insanely fast! Great job!!
I’m so glad the weather was nice and that you enjoyed yourself..the most important part!!
And pumpkin frappuccinos afterwards? Perfect!
PS did you know that dairy queen now has PUMPKIN PIE BLIZZARDS? Yummmmmo.
oh dear. that may have to happen this weekend.
Congrats on such a great race! You and Ryan really know how to start a weekend off right — supporting a cause and doing something you love. Time to refuel with some… Halloween candy!? That’s on my agenda for my post-run treat 🙂
Oh wow what a great time you guys are having, indeed! 🙂 Greg job on that race, and thanks for sharing about your mom! Amazing that she’s so strong.
Ps: if the pumpkin coffees are more pumpkiny then I’m so much more excited to try them this fall!
I cracked up at the wrapping paper comment! My mom would always wrap our family’s birthday presents in Christmas paper and I never found it weird to do the same for my little friends’ birthdays…
Until at one 8th birthday party I went to with a big Frosty-the-Snowman wrapped present, and she gave me the stinkeye!
Hey, a present is a present!
Whohoo!! Sounds awesome! Congrats to everyone on the race!
Give your mom a hug! I am a survivor as well, diagnosed 10/08 at the age of 34. That race sounds like a lot of fun! Maybe next year! I usually attend the American Cancer Society’s 5K walk in Tampa which I highly recommend.
that’s the same year my mom was diagnosed. big hugs your way from my family as well. i was so surprised to see so many young survivors in their 30s at the walk. no one is immune and it’s so important to be cautious and aware.
Very hip and congrats to you kids for finishing so strong! My better half and myself run the “Race for the Cure” here in downtown Indianapolis every spring and enjoy it at as well!
PS on the wrapping paper, some of my relatives, just for kicks forget wrapping paper and just use newspaper as wrapping paper and just say, hey, its whats inside that matters!
Nice job this morning! Ran a Women’s Only 5k this morning.
The Kidless Kronicles
How awesome – great job on the 10k! My sister, stepmom, and I participate in the Race for the Cure ever year in honor of my stepmom. She survived breast cancer several years ago, and has been cancer free ever since. The Race for the Cure in AZ is in a couple weeks, and I’m not able to make it down there this year which I’m really bummed about. I love seeing all the support and emotions going on – such an awesome race.
Julie I was the random girl who yelled
I love your blog today! I saw you a bunch of times and I wanted to
Come talk to you but I didn’t want to
Interrupt your time with your family or seem like A Creep ahah. It was so cool
To see you in person since I read every day and I feel like I kind of know you! Te weather was perfect this morning and today was the longest race I have ever run too. Only thing that would have
Made it better is if that little celeb Sadie was there! Hope you have a great weekend with your family!
Terrible spelling… I am typing this on my phone
hilary! i am so glad you screamed hello! 🙂 you made me (and my mom!) smile! you were doing so great in the race and congrats on achieving your personal distance record. that’s awesome! i think you were running fairly close to my sister. i wish we could’ve found each other and talked a bit once you were finished. maybe next year’s race for the cure!? 🙂
Definitely next year! It was such a great race and such a great cause.
Congrats on your race! And congrats to your sister for her first 10k!
I’m doing my first 10k this month and am sure that I’ll have to take walk breaks, but I’m okay with that!
How wonderful that you guys were able to do the walk/run as a family. It makes me feel so lucky that I have such a close family, as do you.
Congrats on the race! What a great cause 🙂
Wonderful job to all of you guys! 🙂 I was supposed to be participating in a Susan Komen 5k today but I have been struggling with some serious hip pain so I decided to listen to my body and skip it. At least I know the money I paid to race is going to a wonderful cause!!
I can’t believe I never thought of a pumpkin spice frap!! That sounds awesome.
And congrats on your great running time! What an incredible cause to run for. Your mom is inspirational 🙂
grt job done !!!:-)
Sounds like such a great weekend so far. Congrats on the race! That is so heart warming to hear that your mom walked it and that you guys ran for her. Such a great cause! Glad she is better 🙂
Congrats to both you and your sister on a fabulous race! Looks like you are having a great time with your family1 The cake looks delicious! You mom is very inspirational!
First of all, that cake looks amazing! I want a piece ;). And second- awesome job on the race!! I think it is so awesome that you all participated in the event…and that your mom is cancer free! Hopefully my grandma will be breast cancer free someday too!
Congrats to your mom, you and your sister! Race for the Cure was my first 10K ever last year and I ran it again last weekend here in Chicago and their 5K in Kansas City this August! It’s one of my favorite races and I hope to run it every year, every one has such a great spirit!
Congrats on your race!! I also ran today for cancer awareness, they had a 5k in the area. I was so pumped with my time of 24:36, my goal was to make it under 26 minutes. I am envious of the cake you guys had for Ryan, looks so yummy!! Enjoy your weekend. 🙂
~Kari
WOW, what an inspiring race! Congrats on doing so well, and huge congrats to your mom as well.
Awesome job to your sister too! What a morning for you guys 🙂
P.s. I love the masculine b-day wrapping paper too!
awesome race!! i have not yet had a pumpkin spice frap this season, but it looks fantastic!
A whole family of runners! Way to go everyone haha 🙂 They had a race for the cure here in Houston as well today I don’t know why I didn’t sign up for it lol. I’m just silly. I definitely wish I had/should have.
I’m running in the race for the cure in my community tomorrow! SO excited 🙂
I’m so happy that your mom beat cancer! My dad just beat prostate cancer (an aggressive stage as well) and is currently going through hormone treatment and radiation to ensure that it indeed is gone and out of our lives. 🙂 When cancer really hits home, it can make you re-evaluate what’s important to you in life. 🙂 xoxo
My family and I did Race for the Cure in Kansas City this summer and it was just as amazing! It was my husband’s first race, and my mom who is also a survivor (go survivor moms!) walked the entire 5k with my sister and her husband! It was an amazing event…very inspiring and touching!
And you and your sister did awesome!!!
Ask them to add a pump or two of chocolate to your pumpkin spice frappucino. It tastes like pumpkin chocolate chip muffins!
Congrats to you all! So happy that your mom is doing well!
Great job with the run and what a great cause to be running for!!! And AWESOME work for your mom getting in on it too…true survivor!
What a great race recap!! Your mom is such a fighter and you all look so happy to running for her. 🙂
And congrats on some awesome times!! 66 minutes is great for a first time 10k!
Your family is so cute! I would be very interested in running the race for the cure at a location near me. Congrats to your sister too, I’ve only done 6 miles and it is really challenging! Yummmy crabcakes remind me of my beloved maryland
congrats girl!!!!
i am so proud of you for running the race for the cure! supporting breast cancer is awesome! 🙂
Congrats to you guys for completing the race! 🙂
By the way, my eldest sister is turning 28 on Wednesday too! What a coincidence 😛
Wow what an awesome weekend!!! Nice race girl, that’s speedy.
That’s such a great way to start the weekend! Congrats on a seriously amazing race time. I hope I can run sub-9 min miles someday. Right now I’m working on hitting a sub-10 pace. Any tricks on how to increase your speed?
i would say to try to pick up the pace of your runs a bit at the last minute of every mile that you run… and to keep running and training! my speed increases VERY slowly after lots of running. great weather (as in not 90 degrees!) really helps a TON!
Congrats to all 4 you, an achievement for each of you! I must say- I’ve heard of pasta being a perfect meal to eat the night before a race but I think I prefer your way! Marble cake= the next fuel of champions?
Congrats on your race…and I have to say you and your sister and mom look so cute! 🙂
It must have been such an amazing feeling to be surrounded by so many survivors! I know I could not even handle my emotions when I did the 3-Day. Tippin’ my hat to all four of you! Great job! (Yes, I said tippin’ my hat. Not sure who I am..)