reshma mcclintock | death defier, friendship lover

Well, friends, I did it. I ran my first 5k. I defied death one painful, breathless step at a time. Yay me! Was it brutal? Yes. Did I love it. YES. Being that I am not a runner, I had no clue that you could/should actually research a course prior to the run. Oh, how I wish I had done this. The first 3/4 of a mile was very uphill and the entire run was a mountainous, trail run; mud, rocks and all. How uphill was it? Have you ever been on an escalator in Nordstrom? That’s how uphill. I have a lot of experience on the Nordstrom escalator so I can attest to this with great authority. Having Kevin and Rubina there to cheer me on was amazing. Rubina ran into my arms as I finished and said, “Mommy, I’m so proud of you in that race!” Nothing can really ever beat that. Except maybe my handsome husbands proud, smiling face.

I had hoped to run the 5k in 35 minutes but the uphill, rocky terrain really impeded the achieving of this goal. I’m okay with it. The first third was really more of a hike than a run. I wasn’t going to reveal to you my time but, in an attempt to be authentic, I feel it’s necessary and I don’t care if it’s not impressive, no matter what the terrain. I worked hard for that 51:23 and I’m proud of it. Very, very proud of it.

My friend, Cait, ran with me and while she is a real runner, she stooped down to my level and ran with me; she’s a gem. Cait is an incredibly faithful friend. I couldn’t have done this without her. Below is a list of my favorite things Cait said to me before, during and after the race:

Don’t let that dog pass you.
You know I love this, right?
Do you hate me?
You did it and you did great.
Give me your phone so I can take some runfie’s.
Are you mad?
There are so many metaphors regarding running up this mountain.
I’m proud of you.
I can’t believe you let that dog pass you.

So, as you can see…she’s the BEST. I love her. I’m so grateful for friends who offer support and encouragement; women who aren’t in competition with other women but who genuinely want to see their friends succeed. These friendships are harder to come by than you might think. Unless you’re a woman, then you know how hard they are to come by. I have struggled with competing with other women in my life for years and I’m finally at a place where I realize how juvenile and stupid that is. It really is stupid. Is not one of our greatest purposes in life to lift one another up? Let us be women who root for each other; women who find great joy in the successes of their friends. Let us challenge one another to do better and be better. If we can’t cheer for our friends and, instead, find ourselves drenched in jealousy and competition then we’re doing it wrong. If you really love your friends then you will tell them you’re proud of them, you will cheer them on and you will NOT let them be passed by a dog without warning.