Reed's Run written by Carly Doom
This past September I participated in a memorable event that I hold close to my heart. Everything about it was perfect; the people around me, the environment, and most of all, the meaning behind the event. A 5K run was organized as a fundraiser for a meaningful cause. The money was going to a scholarship fund in memory of Reed Stevens, one of the four children killed in the Lakeview school bus accident. Reed's Run is my favorite 5K race that I have participated in, not only because of the success and happiness it brought me, but also because of the sense of support I felt from the Cottonwood community.
It was four o'clock on September 26th and the race was soon to begin. When I arrived at the Marshall fairgrounds, I checked in and received a red shirt. I was thrilled to be there and my head was spinning with excitement coming from every nerve cell. Everywhere I looked I saw people proudly wearing red, Reed's favorite color. Approximately two hundred people were scattered about. A large majority of the individuals were from Cottonwood, and seeing the community support brought out a lot of my emotions. We came together that day to support the Stevens family and remember their wonderful child. It was a gorgeous afternoon with the sun shining and the temperature feeling comfortable. There was a cool breeze to keep my sweat from dripping. I was tremendously eager for the race to begin. Being an experienced runner myself, I was not nervous, knowing I could finish the race. It was my goal to achieve my best time that day. As I watched others pace around and chat with one another, I started warming up and stretching my muscles. The race was soon to start and I wanted to be ready to go. Mentally preparing is also a large part of my running. I then attached my iPod comfortably to my shirt so it would not distract me. I rarely run without my upbeat music playing in my ears.
Mrs. Stevens, Reed's mother, called all 106 runners to the start line. The tension from the participants developed into chaos as all gathered into a large mob. Little children, teenagers and adults from several communities pulled together to show their support. Mrs. Stevens had a few announcements for us to hear. She appreciatively thanked all the competitors for attending and supporting the event that day. Tears almost formed in her eyes as she told us how proud Reed would have been at that moment. The sound of one hundred sniffling noses caught my attention. As Reed's mother explained the route we needed to follow, I was a bit confused. I would have to depend on the person ahead of me to lead me in the right direction.
The gun suddenly went off! I immediately pushed play on my iPod and took off sprinting. I was feeling great and my heart was pounding with excitement. The large crowd rapidly spread apart and allowed room for runners to set their own pace. I knew I would run well as I quickly moved into my own rhythm, beginning to pass a few people. My music blocked out the sound of the crunching gravel beneath my feet and the distractions from other runners breathing heavily. My goal was to be totally focused on my running form and to receive my best time. My mind was clear with zero negative thoughts to be heard. I found myself in the front of the pack closely following a group of men. I am the type of runner that speeds up the pace as the race nears the finish line.
The route was clearly marked by arrows and brightly colored signs. My worries about getting lost now vanished from my thoughts. We were led through enormously tall trees and crossed over a small bridge. The path was full of beautiful sites of nature and was enjoyable to cruise through. The woody area soon turned into a paved street, lined with several houses. There were many familiar people lining the path and cheering us on. It was encouraging for me to know they were there for us, even if I could not hear them over my music. At the one mile mark, I was told my time and was thrilled that I was going as fast as I was. This only made me run harder and more confidently. My heart began to race faster and faster as my adrenaline exploded. Seeing only a few people ahead of me was a marvelous feeling. I focused my eyesight ahead on them and lengthened my stride. Before I knew it, I was in third place with two men in front of me, both within close range. A smile spread across my face while I continued to run. The runner directly ahead of me looked to be around my age. The positive thoughts spinning in my head helped me through the second mile. My leg muscles were trained well and continued to carry me strongly with no feelings of pain.
The finish line was now in sight and my energy was still high. Listening to the excitement from the crowd up ahead and their enthusiasm helped me to come in strong. I crossed the finish line cheerfully and told my muscles to stop. I cooled my body down and allowed it to rest as I was handed a refreshing bottle of water. The feeling of accomplishment overcame me as my breathing became more relaxed. I knew I ran a great race and was excited to see my time. I congratulated the first two runners and they did the same to me. As I watched the rest of the competitors finish withe exhausted expressions, we all awarded each other with handshakes and smiles. Finishing that race made me feel like I was on top of a mountain. I walked over to the time recorder and found mine to be listed as 21 minutes and 12 seconds. I had achieved my best time! Happiness was glowing around me at that moment and my only expression was a small smile kept to myself.
We had to wait a while for the results to be recorded and organized for all the competitors. I chatted with people I knew and discussed what a great turnout the event had been. An announcement finally came over the loudspeaker that it was time for the awards to be handed out. We all gathered around and took a seat on the scattered chairs and benches. Mrs. Stevens once again had the microphone and began with saying thanks to all of us. There was an award for first, second, and third place winnters for both males and females. The crowd cheered as my name was called for first place female. I walked up to Mrs. Stevens and was congratulated and awarded with a medal. The medal was on a red ribbon that was placed around my neck. On one side was engrade, "First Place Female, 2009" and on the other side was a colorful picture of Reed and his dog. It has been the best and most memorable award I have ever received.
Reed's Run will forever be imprinted into my memory. The feelings of success and happiness that overcame me and the support I saw from the Cottonwood community were uplifting that day. I think it was an opportunity to get together and remember Reed and all the wonderful memories that we each shared with him. The event was a great success in more way than can be explained with words. I plan on running several more 5K races in my future, but know that no race will ever compare to the one I ran for Reed.
