Monday, May 14, 2007

SERTOMA 5k Race Report (or A Random Act of Kindness)

I start thinking about what I intend to write over the weekend. My intention was to write how I FINALLY lowered my 5k PR after a 4 year quest. Nah! Too hot on Saturday to do that. So, instead I was going to write abou the mental and physical aspects of achieving this goal. I think I will wait on that. Mainly because something happened right after the 5k on Saturday that is much more touching than what my thoughts are on the above subject matter. First, a short race report.

SERTOMA 5k is part of the Bucks County 5k Series of spring events. The race is held at Central Park and surrounding neighborhoods in Doylestown, PA. The first mile is mainly downhill (there is a small hill thrown in at the start), the second mile is flat and goes through a park, and the third mile is similar to the first mile but in reverse (mainly uphill). I have run this course quite a few times as other races throughout the year will use it for their events. Looking through my running diaries, I have done fairly well on this course so I thought I had a shot at a PR.

Well, I started to believe my press clippings. I just thought I could run a similar race as Broad Street. But, I never clocked at 6:00/mi pace last Sunday! (which is what I was running the first 1/2 mile at this race). I ran the first mile in 7:25 and it went downhill (figuratively not literally) from there. I was burned out after the second mile and wound up at 25:14 to finish. Not bad, but I knew I went out too fast and paid for it at the end. Realistically, I won't have another shot at a PR until the fall. My mission this summer is to find a nice, flat course for a fall event.

All of that was to set up my story. After the race, there was a raffle. Realizing I still had my raffle ticket, I quickly ran to drop it into the bucket. As were waiting for the drawing to start, my fellow runner Eric and I were discussing if we had ever won a raffle before. Sure enough, the first number called out was mine! And, the prize was a basket of games and toys for children! I don't have any kids so I asked if the hosts could donate the prize to someone. I'm not sure if they were expecting that as they told me that I should pick a kid to give the prize to. As I looked around, surveying the crowd to see if there was anyone who I recognized, there was a 10/11-year-old (I think) girl behind me who raised her hand with a huge grin on her face and volunteered to help me with my plight. She was so cute and so excited by her luck of standing next to the 'kid's basket' winner that I handed the prize over to her and said, 'it's yours'. The smile on her face could have lit the sky as she ran back to her parents to let them know of her luck of being at the right place at the right time. Not the end of the story.

As they were handing out the other prizes, the announcer had called on 'the winner of the kid's gift prize to come forward.' OK. I wasn't sure what this was about. As I stepped forward, the announcer said that the girl who I gave the basket to, had herself won a $50 gift certificate to a local restaurant and would like to give me this prize in exchange for the one I gave her. My favorite British term, which fits here, is I was gob-smacked. I didn't know what to say. I was truly moved by this generous offer and accepted it gratefully. I don't know who this girl is or who the parents are but they didn't have to do this 'exchange'. They could have taken both prizes and I wouldn't have been the wiser. But, they didn't.

I originally gave my prize away as I didn't want it to sit around my house. I thought someone else could use it. Really, no other reason than that. And, I'm sure the parents could have used the gift certificate for a night out. Instead, they gave it to me. From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank the parents and especially the girl, not just for the gift certificate but for giving me faith that the future of our world will be in good hands.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Good words.