Sweetpea Bicycles

Last fall, I signed up for the Race for the Cure Women’s 5k. Three thousand women: Some running for time, some running for mothers, sisters, friends, some running for pure solidarity. The last time I had participated in the Race for the Cure, it was with Dee, a breast cancer survivor very dear to me. This time I really wanted to run in memory of her and in honor of other women in my life who have had breast cancer.

So, that’s what got me to sign up. But once I had committed, my competitive side kicked in. As long as I was running this thing, I wanted to do it fast. The problem is, short races make me nervous. My favorite race ever was a fifty mile trail race that took 11 and a half hours to finish. It seems like a lot of pressure to pack a whole race into a short time frame. But I gave it my best shot and when I crossed the finish line, I was stoked. I had a great race. I felt strong. I felt happy. And then I ran home.

A couple of months later and I get a package in the mail from the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The letter inside said that I had (what?!) won my age group. And the prize? A pink ribbon and a pink bracelet.

The pink ribbon was mounted on the bathroom wall next to my two other running trophies. The pink bracelet went to Austin. I had really been meaning to bring home the bling for some time now. And what’s more, the pink bracelet was way more than a fashion/political statement.

See, over the summer Austin purchased his first pink Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation bracelet, not only to show support for breast cancer research, but also as a way to carry his bike lock key.

It worked perfectly. But sadly, after a summer of vigorous use, it had snapped, and things had been a little dour around the house in the bike lock department ever since.

That is until that small package came in the mail for me. Clearly, in the Race for the Cure, everyone is a winner.