Run or Dye

Yesterday I went to Run or Dye with my family and got absolutely covered in powered dye from head to toe. I even had some in my ears courtesy of my daughter who up ended me in the side of the head with a dye package directly in the ear. Nothing says family love better than coating each other in a bunch of different colours. It quite honestly looked like the gayest event that I've ever been too. The best part of the event to me was watching my friends child collect high fives. The event was a 5 K run. Well the only part of me that usually runs is my nose. I did manage to sprint a few steps. I should qualify it with I run pretty funny. Neurological damage from MS causes one leg to tend stick and so any impairment I have is amplified when I run. Usually I don't run because I'm a touch self conscious about it. It's one of the rare times where my vanity overrides my better thinking. Usually I don't make it a secret that I have MS and I cope rather well and have about a billion different techniques that I use that help me along the way. But with the children holding their hands in mine I thought I would go for it. I was slightly worried that my family's child might run so fast and not let go that she would drag me behind her flapping in the wind. It was a distinct possibility. I made it. I also made it through the 5 k walk we did. Walking for me in any lengths feels like doing a light jog on a beach. It takes a lot of muscle compensation to make up for my left leg deficiency and I try to pace myself accordingly. It's not like we were actually racing, but I didn't want to stop and sit down. I was grateful that the air was cool that day because I would not have been able to walk over 5 k if it was warm. Imagine jogging in a sauna, with a plastic suit on and you have a general idea of what heat does to a person with MS. Now quadruple the distance you have to run and you have a better idea. But, I made it. You can do all sorts of things you can never imagined with the support of your loved ones. Not only did I do it, I had a lot of fun! I did go home afterwards and take a nap, which was more like a light coma. Regardless I did it and I couldn't be prouder!

Shoot for the starts and if you fall short and land on the moon it's still a pretty darn good place to be!