Aloha Health Nut-er’s! Happy Monday.

Last week, I wrote a seven-day training guide to Saturday’s Brigg & Al’s Run and Walk. As the author of  Ready, Set, Train!  you would think I would take my own advice and prepare for the 8K.

But I did the opposite.

Saturday morning, I woke up to my friend’s text asking me to join her in the race. Without second thought or hesitation, I jumped out of bed and threw on my running shoes. I ate adrenaline for breakfast and had only a sip of water. Let me tell you, I have not ran more than two miles in over two years. But, I had enthusiasm on my side and believed my spontaneity would survive the five mile course.

My running buddy, Allie, and I made it to Wisconsin Avenue with just minutes to spare. We snaked through the walkers and found the 9-minute mile marker. Seconds later, the race was off.

Milwaukeeans overflowed the streets, like they were storming the Bastille or marching down Washington. This runner’s high would surely linger, until next year’s run, that is.

With live music and sideline volunteers cheering us on, Allie and I found a pace that worked for us. Remembering Ready, Set, Train! I was thankful that Allie’s pace challenged me and that my running gear was comfortable for the day’s crisp and cloudy weather.

Mile one complete. The course veered us down Prospect Avenue, along Lakefront condomineums and iconic Brady Street. Indie-bands jammed in driveways while high school cheer squads practiced lifts, jumps and cheers. I started to second guess my running the entire 8k.

“All I can hear is people taking really deep breathes,” a runner said. She was probably referring to me.

But high moral drove me and Allie to complete mile two and three without stopping. The race then looped us toward McKinley beach.  The turn welcomed a steep and much appreciated downhill. Allie and I sprinted the slope, which spit us at Alterra at the Lake. I seriously considered quitting the run for a cup of coffee. I envied the spectators in the patio seating.

Despite fatigue, mile four came quicker than we thought and we continued our pace. We even saw Marquette Women’s Lacrosse.

Now, the race was mind over matter. I was spending as much energy on breathing as I was distractnig myself from my fatigue, hunger and profound thirst. “Why am I running this race, again?” I thought to myself.

But custom T-shirts with children’s faces reminded me that the discomfort of this run was a mere moment in my life, compared to children at Children’s Memorial Hospital, who experience pain and discomfort every day. This humbling reminder carried me through mile five.

Finishing at the Summerfest grounds, Allie and I turned the corner to see a long-anticipated “Finish” banner that proudly marked our completion of the race. Though I regret my lack of training, running the race was better than not running at all. Until next year Brigg & Al—you were a run to remember.