Oklahoma City Half Marathon

This past Sunday I had a rare & wonderful opportunity to visit my family in Oklahoma City, and venture out to see a new city for the first time.  And what better way than on foot for a couple hours?  :)

What made this trip and experience so special was not only the quality time to catch up with my cousins whom I hadn't seen altogether in over a decade (love you, girls! and missed you, Vic!), but also the opportunity to participate in a memorial race - honoring and remembering all those impacted by the tragedy in OKC in 1995.

My alarm went off at 4:30 AM Central (my body clock registered that at 2:30!), I ate my usual toast with peanut butter, and headed to my corral for a start time of 6:45 - joining 20,000+ other runners.  It was a brisk morning, colder than a San Francisco day, but with the promise of a hot afternoon.

Beginning the race with a reflective 168 seconds of silence, commemorating "those who were killed, those who survived, and those whose lives were changed forever" was extremely fitting, and put me in just the right mindset to be in the present moment.  The sun rose just before I crossed the start line of my 13.1 mile journey for the day, and I truly felt blessed.

Oklahoma City has a lovely downtown, with surprising hills and elevation gain that thankfully I was prepared for given all my training in SF!  I ran by and through the quaint and well-known areas including the State Capitol, along the Skydance Bridge, into Bricktown and Midtown, ending at the Devon Energy Tower & Myriad Botanical Gardens.

By far the most inspiring and touching moments of the morning for me were at mile 7 when I saw an entire brigade of firefighters walking the Half Marathon in full uniform; and at mile 9 after climbing up Gorilla Hill, seeing the complete road ahead of me lined with signs including the names and faces of all 168 individuals who lost their lives.

The energy from the crowds and volunteers was some of the most uplifting I'd ever experienced, and I felt so grateful to be exactly where I was, in the presence of such positivity, resilience and joy in spite of the loss so many people felt.  It reminded me that while pain is universal among all people, so is celebration and gratitude - if we choose it.

Most people have (and continue to) ask, "Iya, why would you run these long distances?  And after doing one or two, what keeps you going back for more?" feeling baffled as to why I would spend a couple perfectly good vacation days on putting myself through hours of physical and mental challenge.

And my answer is twofold.  Personally, the experience of doing an endurance event, though tough and taxing, always teaches me something new about myself and what the human body, mind & spirit are capable of, if we allow ourselves the opportunity.

And secondly, this memorial race carries the same spirit on why I train with organizations like Team in Training, as a reminder to celebrate my health and the ability to run because I can, and the privilege to be able to run for those who cannot.

Each moment truly is a gift.  And the easiest and most tempting thing for us to do is rush through the day, plan for the next one and keep looking forward.  So whenever we have the opportunity to pause, take a step back and savor the moment we are in right now, the more we are able to gain perspective and gratitude for exactly where we are today.

I'd like to thank the following friends & colleagues for their generous contributions this week, in addition to all those who've taken the time to ask and read about my journey:

Leslie Kim, Cristina Ramos, Erik Smithson, Ranjani Spencer, Penny Lane, Anthony Igwe, Tahera Ali Khan, Joshua Kaan, Lauren Haws, Moustafa Elhariry, Mandy Chang, Lauren Brasch, Ryan Field, Kate Sherfey & Dani Janklow

Your support means so much!