Run for the Cure, Kingston.

This weekend was my first major race and it was intense. Anyone who remembers, fondly or with terror, their first race, it is always terrifying.

I had run one race before, which drew a crowd of a grand total of a hundred people, and I thought that was nuts. Sunday was a hundred times more insane. There were at least 500 hundred runners, and each brought their entire family and the pets for support. A mad house. I stepped away from my own small support group and mingled slowly into the anxious runners.

The Run for the Cure is completely different than the run I did the weekend before. This was filled with supporters, fundraisers, even people who had beaten cancer stood in the pack. They cheered in the right places, whooped outrageously and when the starting gun blasted, walked across the starting line. That's right fellow runners, they walked. Granted, the run had a walking portion to it, allotting for those who could not have completed the five kilometres expected of them. Walkers were supposed to stay to one side, and allow the runners to pass before beginning their journey. Somewhere that was thrown out the window and everyone started at the same time. It took almost 50 seconds to cross the line.

Once the pace picked up, and the crowd dispersed the race truly became enjoyable. It had stopped raining, the lake was in view and I was passing people without even thinking about it. The course was relatively flat, with one water station and a few minor hills. Until the last kilometre and a half. Right smack in front of me was a giant hill that runners disappeared over. I stopped, staring weakly up at it, wondering if I had the strength left to tackle the hill properly and decided that I might as well finish strong. I sprinted, huffing and puffing the entire way before making it to the top.

Best feeling in the world, I think I even laughed a little in the process at the awestruck faces of people walking the hill.

Slowly, the end came within view and while I had only completed a 5K race, I felt amazing. I could see my excited parents and boyfriend waiting at the finish line for me to cross, mother with her camera poised for the perfect, unflattering finish photo. And at 37:00 I did it.

The Run for the Cure happened all across Canada on Oct. 4 and raised more than $26 million this year for breast cancer research.