PRs and the Hippocratic Oath

Last year on the 4th of July, I was 'dragged' out of bed, so irritated at like 6:30 am on my day off to go up with Bill and Nile to Cedar Rapids so Bill could run a 5K. I was so pissed off by the whole thing and made it known. It was stupid and early and hot. I actually may have enjoyed myself a little bit once I got there but would never let him know that. Bill ran a good race; he came in a lot faster than he expected and was hoping to beat that time from last year this year. However, thanks to the 500 year flood, that race has been postponed until Labor Day. Fast forward a year, now I am racing with Bill and didn't complain at all when I got up at 6:00 am to head out to Sigourney for a 5K which is about an hour away. After getting lost last week I felt I had some personal redemption. After running so poorly last week, Bill had laid the gaunlet in his training that if he doesn't start to see some results he is not going to put in the effort. So we both had a lot to prove to ourselves. Race starts off fine again. First mile mark and I'm running fast, an 8:45 which could be my fastest mile ever. Then right at about 13 minutes the girl in front of me totally passes out. I mean sprawled on the concrete-hit her head-not moving-passed out. The Hippocratic Oath kicks in and I stop to help. Thankfully she passed out right by her dad who was there cheering her on and another runner by me who knows her stops too. I do what I can that is helpful, make sure she is breathing and talking and not bleeding, her dad did call 911 and the other runner tells me to go. So I'm off again. I did stop my watch when I stopped so no matter what the final clock says I'll know my real time. I am not irritaited that I had to stop because any civilized person would (except all the people who passed us and didn't stop) but I kept thinking as I continued; the stars must be aligned against me getting my PR (runner lingo for personal record) in a race; first I get lost and then a girl passes out in front of me. There must be some deep life lesson in this. Anyhow I keep running, passing up the people who passed me by as I was playing Good Samaritan and I cross the finish line in my new PR x 2. That is PR by my watch at 27:46 and PR by the race clock at 28:18. I guess my Good Samaritan work took only 32 seconds. And guess what ? I finished SECOND IN MY AGE GROUP. I GOT A MEDAL!!! Yippeee!!!! Now if I can just get that dang bulletin board up, I can display it. Bill got his PR too and met his goal; PR on the 4th of July and finished 4th or 5th overall. He got third in his age group which is crazy that there were two 40-49 year olds ahead of him. I tell him the story when I finish. 'You're a good woman' he says 'I wouldn't have stopped'. 'Yes you would have, you're a doctor. You took the Hippocratic Oath' I say. 'Well you're right but I would have been pissed' he replies. Lovely bedside manner.

Here is us post race with our medals.