For those of you don't already know, Veronica and I are met at the University of Maryland, having been born and raised in the Blue Crab state. We would each each attend graduate school in Minmesota and relocate across the country, finding love in other states: myself in South Carolina and her in Washington. My husband and I would end up moving back to Maryland after the birth of our oldest son and I was thrilled to live so close to my best friend for the first time since our college years. Life, however, had other plans, and Veronica would soon meet her future husband, Riku during a trip to Seattle. Fast forward a year, an engagement and a Call to her new church in Bellevue (a suburb outside of Seattle), and a move west was unavoidable.
The original plan was for Veronica to move out west after they were married, which would take place March 4, 2014. The call for Veronica's new church came sooner than expected and she had to relocate months earlier, in October. We had already registered for a series of 5Ks over the summer and it looked that the third, Cosmic Run, would be the last for us, taking place a day before she started her move across the country. We debated several times if we would still complete this event or if I should go on without her. In the end, we decided it would be a proper farewell and one last night of fun.
Cosmic Run is advertised as a night-time run filled with lights, color and music. Similar to the Electric Run, this 5K adventure starts after dark and runners are encouraged to dress in black adorned with accessories that flash and glow. Veronica and I, joined by my sister Carolyn, kept our attire simple for the event - black running capris, old sneakers still carrying powder from the HEAL Color Splash and black t-shirts bearing the Cosmic Run logo.
My sister and I drove to pick up Veronica from her townhouse which was still in the various stages of packing late Saturday evening in mid-October. I remember it being quite overcast and a bit chilly that night. We would drive through a small rain shower to Waldorf where the event was being held. By the end of the night?
It was still cool and mist settled over, which felt refreshing after running three miles.
I wish I could say I have fond memories of this night. To say the least, I have mixed feelings. I enjoyed the opportunity to run beside my best friend and share the experience of a first 5K with my sister, but beyond that, the rest of the evening remains my least favorite of our runs together. No two races are alike, nor created equal. Having seen photos of friends and fellow runners complete the Electric Run, I looked forward to this event and the experience of running at night surrounded by lights and music. What would greet us instead, was a three-mile course located in and around the parking lot of a small baseball stadium with less than epic conditions advertised.
The start of the race ended up being delayed due to the combination of the less than epic weather and being difficult to find. Once the race was underway, we found ourselves running through color and light stations spaced approximately a quarter mile apart. The amount of light effects became increasingly dynamic towards the end of the event, especially at the finish, but I was left wanting more. The added difficultly came with such spread out elements of light - running in the dark can be quite unsafe. We found ourselves running towards oncoming traffic and tripping over several hazards including extension cords and road debris.
What was even more suprising was how well we did that night - we ended up finishing almost ten minutes ahead of our previous race times. The end of the race culminated in a hall of colored lights and black-light reactive powder that made for fun photos. After crossing the finish line, we treated ourselves to bottled water, CLIF granola bars (YUM!) and other treats. We had the option of staying for a concert/after party, but with the wet grounds and long drive ahead of us, we opted not to stay. Instead, we headed to a nearby WaWa to feast on made-to-order sandwiches. We spent the drive home noshing on our treats and discussing the experience. When it came time to drop Veronica off, we said our teary goodbyes and I drove away, not knowing when we would see one another, much less run together, again.
I wish I could say I look back on this night fondly, but I don't. The Cosmic Run ended up being a disappointment on several levels, but the hardest part came from knowing it was the last night I would run alongside my best friend. I was terrified that this would be not only the last time I would get to run with her, but also the end of running. Veronica and I had started running together and found a new passion but now with her moving,
I wasn't sure I would continue. But I did - we did. We discovered the Disney Princess Half Marathon series and dreamed of running alongside one another again. Almost a year and a half later, here we are.
We've both continued to run in our respective states, 5Ks and half-marathons. We've continued to cheer one another on via text message and Facebook. We've started documenting our running experiences and grown together in our journey with this blog. As I finish writing this, Veronica and I are lying in bed, in a shared hotel room with our husbands in Orlando after a long day of traveling. Tomorrow, we will venture over to the Disney Princess Expo to pick up our race bibs and assorted goodies. What is slowly starting to sink in - the day after tomorrow will mark the start of the Enchanted 10K and the first of two back-to-back races in the Glass Slipper Challenge. The best part of it all, I'll be running alongside Veronica in costume, taking the next step in our runningjourney together. I can't wait.
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