Trust Your Body #Race14Medal13 #ChallengeMedal2

Remember that time I had this really awesome (not awesome) idea to run races on back to back days. I mean how could I have possibly learned anything from Doing The Double or San Jose earlier this month. I flunked the class that experience taught.

But I showed up every day. On time. In the front row. Taking worthless notes.

This was an awesome running weekend on paper though. Not only did it mark the “end” of #14in2014, it was the conclusion of 2 race series challenges. I Run The Bay  & I Run The Coast. Which have now been effectively dubbed, The California Takeover. #IOwnCalifornia

I’m the most amazing person you know. I was born excellent. Matter of fact, when I was born, my Mommie gave me a high 5. Because dammit I delivered myself in half the time! The fact that you know me shows not only that there is a Divine Being, but that He too wants you to be something special.

I am your example in life. Look upon me with all your wonder. I mean you’ll never actually be me, but aspire. I am physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally and intellectually unable to commune with you. Yet you love me, because I benevolently choose to exist in this world with you.

Now that we got that cleared up....let the running begin.

Start: Please, please, please don’t be a hero. After this you have to fly to Los Angeles and run again. Take it easy. Slow and steady gets the medal. Wait, is the path blocked by that hill right there? We have to run up that? #disrespectful

Mile 1: Um, okay. So another wilderness run. More kids running like they breathe through their pores. Why didn’t challenge myself to this 20 years ago?

#theymakeitlooksoeasy #theyhavdnolifestrugglesweighingthemdown #ihatechildren *Maleficient Mean Mug*

Mile 2: *older ginger lady and ginger kid approaches on the left* Did you do this race last year? To which I huffed, No....and then she goes.... You remind me of this woman last I saw year running. You've got a great steady pace. I couldn't keep up with her, and I thought you were her...and I said to myself, 'Im gonna beat her! Grrrrr'…

*thinking* Did this lady just growl at me with her kid here? Man, running brings out the worst in people.

Mile 3: *my calf muscles finally get the memo about the weekend* FUM we gotta do this again?! Hell to the naw! Oh you stopping at every water station, and if you even think about stopping to take a picture mid run, you will NEVER wear heels again! *hangs head in shame*

Mile 4: That gottdamn hill again. Oh, and he is pushing a stroller up it. I don’t feel bad about myself. At all.

Mile 5: I’m over this. Like really. I feel like this is dumb and the fact that I’ve convinced other people that its fun is a sign that I’m in the wrong business.

Mile 6: I want some bacon. *ginger lady approaches* She might kill herself in front of her kid trying to keep up with me....and I’m slow.

Mile (6)0.2: That medal better be everything I remembered in March. #ItWasJustADream #QueueUpErro

Finish: I want to go home.

Not gonna lie, I felt a little defeated at the finish. I cannot get over the speed thing. I LOVE doing these kinds of events with friends, but I LOATHE that they always have to wait on me. As fast as I go, I’m still soooo slow.

I crossed the finish line, looking up for the exit to the Golden Gate Fields track. I reached for my medal, took my headphones off and saw them. Each one of my friends waiting on me. With their medals and their smiles...and the photographer. CJC said to her, We're ready to take our group picture now.

It’s hard to describe what that gesture meant to me. I was so overwhelmed by pure, genuine, loving emotions that I did what I do best. Avoid them. I turned my inner Leo up to the “hella extra” setting and went in. I couldn’t deal with those feelings. They touched at the heart of something really sensitive, something really vulnerable, something terribly difficult for me to accept.

I am a runner. I have the shoes, the bib, the tech tee and the nearly over-drafted bank account to prove it. But I don’t always feel like one. I don’t feel like I look like one, whatever that means, or that I can be counted into the brother/sisterhood of running because I’m not fast. It bothers me so much. It takes the fun out of it.

But not one of them seemed to care. At all. Not even a little bit. They didn’t seem to care about what time I finished. They only cared that I finished. I’ve been telling people all year that it only matters that they start and finish. I don’t care how they do it...all the medals look the same. I need to stop caring so much about how I do it. There are people who are inspired by it. Like this guy. What’s crazy is that my friends, the whole lot of them said the same thing to me on Saturday. I felt so much shame in that moment. When I read his words, I felt really tears began to swell in my eyes. I finally got it.

This Race: Let’s Go 510, 10K, Oakland CA
Medaled Miles to date: 73.67 miles

Total Raced Miles to date: 86.77 miles 

1 Medal To Go ǁ 93% Complete

(2 Challenge Medals ǁ 107% Complete)

#RUDELIKEHELLA

begins with: Oakland is Hella Rude. Hella.

I’m still bitter that I didn’t get a damn medal. Hella bitter. On the day of the race, when I realized that indeed, Las Vegas was happening to me all over again, I cried. A few real tears. I didn’t cry too long, because my team needed me to get it together to get those group pictures. But trust, tears fell.

And my laptop was turned on.

And this was sent via email. 

Cause ain’t nobody got time to wait for USPS for this.

Greetings,

You know, the last time something like this happened to me, I was too tired, too worn out and too sore to plead my case to a race staff member. Oh, when I said “something like this” I meant the last time I ran a race that “ran” out of medals. It seems that everybody and everything was running like hella in Oakland, huh? I actually thought, after Rock n’ Roll Las Vegas #redemption #2013 #neverforget, that this would never happen to me. Like being struck by lightning. It’s pretty damn rare already, but should it happen, it’ll only be once.

#TheDarkConOfLeg2 #WellPlayedOakland

Look, I get it. Planning an event like the Oakland Running Festival for the past five years has been a big freaking deal. Like all of the planning. The late nights and early mornings coordinating stuff so that on one particular day each year, thousands of people could feel individual greatness, even from a relay team.

Just like Sunday. Like #TeamTallsAndSmalls.

And when I say “great”…we were great! Hella Great. From the coordinated uniforms, to the #blackgirlsshakintheirpompoms who followed us to every exchange to record it – we inspired somebody somewhere. I know that because my best friend told me. Who is he? Oh, he’s the guy that was there the last time something like this happened to me. He had to help me make sense of things, so in this letter, you would not have to fill in the words from the over usage of *&^%$##* type characters. Because I got hella - hella characters.

Even in the days of #BlackGirlsRun, it’s not as easy as you think to find three black girls to run a marathon relay with you. Especially one in the City of Oakland. It happens to be pretty gosh-damn difficult. Even for my intellectual aptitude, remarkable vocabulary and enthusiasm for running (for medals and mimosas). People actually told me no. And meant it.

But I have great friends. And among them three volunteered – kinda. They showed up and performed. And Leg 4 even ran in a cotton t-shirt?! Do you know what that meant? How much convincing that took? It was kind of a big freaking deal. 

I am so honored that they would do this very important thing with me.

There I go again talking about stuff I haven’t introduced. By “important thing” I mean #14in2014. Some among us got the bright idea to run in 14 medal races in 2014. Get 14 medals at our own pace, in our own time, before year’s end. Today was not just a relay with my friends. It was supposed to be my medal #5.

Oh, did I mention that I had to run Leg 2 in order to earn that medal – medal #5? Oh, my bad, not Leg 2, I meant hell. I had to run into and out of the depths of hell of Oakland to earn medal #5. So what you’re saying to me by not having my medal is that I literally lost parts of my life, my ego, my pride and my beauty (I looked a hot ass mess at the exchange) and I have no medal to show off around the office on Monday. For Medal Monday. You know, the Monday after race weekend where your greatness is applauded by colleagues and strangers? It’s like a holiday. A picture taking holiday.

Here’s the thing, you set the price. You put this together, you decided what it cost, and you put it on your website. I potentially would have paid anything. Anything. And I did. I’ve paid it before, and I will do it again, in like a week. Do you know why? Because I run to be great – hella great – and somehow I’ve horcruxed that greatness into the medal I get at the finish line.

Normally, this is the point in the correspondence where I sugar coat my position, you know? Try to be understanding. Make an earnest, impassioned appeal amidst sharing my discontent. But in the days of memes some-ecards and hashtags, ain’t nobody, and I mean nobody, got time for that. I am at home, trying not to move my legs in more than 35° in any given direction, on a day where there were so many things to be excited about. And I am in the bed absolutely bitter. Hella bitter. I ran, I was great, I have no medal. Now, in the ever eloquent and so fitting words of Riley Freeman – it’s time for you to pay what you owe – My Relay Medal.

I need my medal. It might not be a big deal to you, but it’s pretty damn serious to me.

Regards,

#TeamTallsAndSmalls

Relay Bib #9001, Leg 2

I. Will. Get. My. Medal.... Son.

I was hot as fish grease in Texas on a Friday! I honestly expected a little compassion, or consideration. Like Michelle from my Rock n’ Roll Las Vegas experience. But no, my dear running buddies and friends. This was Oakland. And Oakland is hella rude. Check out the response I got:

I have your medal in my office right now if you are nearby.

That's it?! That's ALL you have to say?!?!?!?! I quoted Riley Damn Freeman! Gas is more than $4 a gallon and you want me to drive to downtown Oakland?!?!?! FOH!

I swear I hate Oakland. #ILovedRunningLikeHellaButIWantMyMedal

#RUNLIKEHELLA

charisma noun /cha-ris-ma kəˈrizmə/

¹a divinely conferred power or talent.

²the ability to talk three of your friends via email to pay you to pay someone else $65.00 (+taxes +team uniform-you don’t get to select-fees) to get up at 7:30am and run more than 6 miles on a marathon relay team in the City of Oakland and go to work the next day.

Because if you want to identify three Black women to pay someone they don’t know run around the City of Oakland on a Sunday morning, you better have something like charisma. Or a medal. Or a mimosa.

Basically.

We are 13 days away from my first Marathon. This marathon happens to not be a marathon at all, but a 4-person marathon relay team. Because if you have 26.2 miles to run in Oakland, and you don’t have a car, you better have some friends to help. As much as I am into this running thing, I am not 100% sold on running 26.2 miles by myself, on the same day, in the same race. I am not so sure about that one #2015maybe. So until then, I pray all my marathons come with at least a 3 piece leg option. #popeyes #strawberrysoda

I am no stranger to teamwork. After all there are seven of us in my family. There were not too many things that could be done alone in our house on Baylor Street. As such, I have assembled the proverbial League of Extraordinary Black Girls Runnin… Allow myself (and me, and I) to reintroduce us’selves to you…

Leg One: Getting this party started is the friend you wish you had but I ain’t sharing. No ma’am! I promise I’m doing everything in this life to get into heaven on some of her residual goodness. The smile alone is going to have Peter asking Paul to get Luke & John an’nem to find out her name. I don’t know why, but I personally believe that there is a special place in heaven for black female musicians. The good ones are so rare, and honey chile she knows music! …and Jesus! #Tall1 #GreenOne

Start: STARTing Line

End: Rockridge BART Station

Distance: 6.2 miles (uphill)

Favorite Memory: There are many. Like her Sangria. Listen, that Sangria right there will have you forgetting stuff you never remembered was first, in the second place. It would be a favorite memory, if I could remember more than the fact that I had the Sangria #butthatMadDog2020tho #neverforget. Anyway, we email about #14in2014 all the time! Coordinating our travel, races, and awesome themed running events, right? Like this one we’ll need plane tickets for…  Well, as it goes with great ideas and limited budgets we came to realize that we might need some sponsorship for all these medals, right?

Okay. Livermore race is like $85, Shamrock is like $70 something. We need to decide and commit. There are only like 30 spots left for the Shamrock! eeeek! Yes. I was supposed to use my boobies and find us some men'folk for that urban challenge race, huh?...Izza work on that rat'naw boss!

This is getting expensive. The swag from Livermore seems better. Only 30 left??? See, the way my money is set up. Lol

We’re going to be running with no bibs on the sidewalk next to the race!

Oh no!! You ain’t getting me arrested for stealing running lol 

…email conversations later…

Did you register for the Bay Breeze 10K this weekend? Of course, I did not...yet. I am trying to now. What do you think “donation registration” means, and why would it be $89? 

I am lame, beyond words for this. I may just have to “steal” this race and run alongside of you. LOL 

Are we doing the Urban Race? Can we please get our lives? 

I would never know if she was unhappy. There is so much laughter in my pressure filled #bullying emails and her consenting responses. I couldn’t be luckier to have a person like her to share Medal Mondays and Groupon running deals with! #MyBankCardStillDoesntWorkOnGroupon #IPromiseItsReal

Leg Two: Dat’s Me Fool! #Small1 #PurpleOne

Start: Rockridge BART Station

End: 580 Underpass on Maple

Distance: 6.6 miles (uphill #fcuk)

I’ll tell you all the interesting things that you don’t know that you could probably figure out about me if you keep reading this blog or run a race with me or meet me for happy hour after Lent passes. #pressurekinda

Leg Three: …she is 40 and fabulous #IStillDontBelieveThis! Lord, you said in your will that Black Don’t Crack…and she’s a living witness. Wait, that’s not right? Is it? I missed Church last weekend for the 408k...what did yall talk about? Anyway, I hope her genetics are strong and fast, because she’s running the longest leg. And, she might actually have the longest legs on the team… #Tall2 #RedOne

Start: 580 Underpass on Maple

End: West Oakland BART Station

Distance: 7.0 miles (downhill/flat)

What I Like About Her: She is peace. Now don’t get me wrong. I am a firm believer that if -ish got real, we’d be in better hands with her than Allstate. But, she has this way about her. She can command the room with her silence, disarm you with her words, and love you with look. You don’t make choices with her, you involuntarily react. I am so comfortable being my most insecure self in her presence. There is no judgment in that space. She has those MO.m qualities I was writing about… She doesn’t push me too hard into my greatness. She just says what I need to hear in that moment to find it.

My dear, dear GirlieGurl. I’m sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but you won't be a writer one day. You are a writer. Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow. Forever. Your blog is amazing. And I agree with Mr. 20D. Get out of your own way and soar.

You are fabulous and you’re gonna be even more fabulous as you continue to live your dreams afraid. Sometimes the fear of success is more crippling than the fear of failure. Cuz what comes next? What do you do when you have achieved your life-long goal? It’s scary. Be kind to yourself, have faith in yourself - hell, fake it til you make it - just keep pressing forward. Small progress is still progress. You know that, cuz you're a runner!!

And it’s so easy to hear that truth from her because if she hasn’t lived it, she’s running on your relay team to help you survive it. My dreams aren’t too big around her, you know? It’s like they’re so small, she wonders why I’d even waste time imagining so little? And to be that person you have to have strength and wits about you that are from a divine place.

So basically, I’m saying if Leg One’s residual holiness ain’t enough, I’m borrowing some of Leg Three’s!

Leg 4: …and bringing up the rear styling her end in a fabulous pencil skirt from the booty by beyonté line we have EBoogie aka the real donut monster aka that hilarious lady who wrote this…that only took her forever to write. Not that I would tell anyone else that it took her literally forever to write it.  #Small2 #BlueOne

Start: West Oakland BART Station

End: FINISHing Line

Distance: 6.5 miles (downhill/flat)

How’d We Meet: Wow. Atlanta: The Legend of Alicia Keykey and Beyonté. There is so much to this story, but long story not as long as it could be, she was a friend of (one of) my little sister in college at Clark Atlanta. You know, the person going through the HBCU struggle and care packages I sent, with my little sister?! The first time I came to visit, she thanked me along with my little sister for the grocery money I mailed regularly #manners #you’rewelcome. One of my first memories of her is when I braided her hair. Back when everyone thought they were fallin in and out of love, but they were really feenin’ for the dyslexic person that braided Alicia Keys’ hair with that pack of yaki #4. Yooo, really though, Alicia had all the braiders, beaders and hat stores in business. Okay, maybe I braided her hair so tight calgon couldn’t even take her away. Point is, she didn’t have to do her hair for a long time, she still had edges, and er’body wished they could get on her level. And that was how I said “thank you” (in advance), to the person who had not yet become the person who would help me rediscover myself when I would feel like all was lost years and years later. She reminded me that someone was off in California where it's never cold, ready to tell me that they love me (and lowkey wanting their hair done), when others disappeared.

The duet album is droppin soon. #aliciakeykeyANDbeyonté #getready

It's Oakland. You should probably be hella fast...

I know some really amazing people. They honor me by trusting me with this. With supporting me in this. With joining me in this task. Hell, believing that I could even do this. I have no idea what I will become after all of this, and they are choosing to run with me anyway. The gratitude I am filled with when I think about what they are doing for/with me is overwhelming. Like seriously. There aren’t enough words, posts or pictures to caption, capture or tell it all! #justcanttellit

That’s faith. Blind faith running. In the City of Oakland.

*shots fired* #literally