Start Again At Your Beginnings, And Never Breathe A Word About Your Loss

My doctor lost his wife to ovarian cancer and founded the Marsha Rivkin Center for ovarian cancer research. Among the main events, he and his daughters promote a race "Swedish SummeRun" that has reached its 16th anniversary with 100% of the proceedings going to the center.

When he invited me to participate in 2009 I said "no way". Why? One pretty day in June 2008 I ran the Race for the Cure, 6 months later I was diagnosed. I don't want to get the remote chance of getting ovarian cancer. Then he goes: "Silly you! You are not gonna get it just for racing it." I said: "I know that. I don't believe in witches, but I know they fly". So, consistent with my words I didn't race it.

This year he invited me again. How could I say no to a doctor that treats me as if I was his only patient, and is concerned about me as if I was his family?

There I went to run a 5K with fears for not having raced in the last 3 months and because I knew I've lost all my speed and endurance. I was aware that I'd clock a time far from my regular pace. When I was about to finish my registration paperwork I marked 10K. What the heck, if I am going to battle my fears better do it with a longer distance. I sent me a personal message "I can run, I have the magnificent opportunity of engaging my feet, lungs, heart, arms, and rest of my body into a journey that gives me nothing but satisfaction. Forget the pace!!!"

And there I went and ran a 10K at my marathon pace, which translates to slow. But what is certain is that I have been firm to my beliefs, the teachings of my favorite poem: If, Rudyard Kipling:

...watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build them up with worn-out tools...

...Start Again At Your Beginnings,
And Never Breathe A Word About Your Loss

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Dr. Rivkin. More than a doctor.

My daughter told me to get rid of the watch, and so I did. Not only that, I also ran w/o Ipod... Liberating