The final conclusion: I didn’t finish due to a mechanical–a thrown chain that refused to let go of the gap between my hub and cassette–five miles from the finish.

All this in addition to hearing the greatest cyclist in American history and the face of the fight against cancer speak about the history and future of the Livestrong Foundation.

But the most inspiring and heartbreaking thing–at the same time–was reading the messages honoring and remembering those who are fighting, survived, and did not survive this horrible disease.

Saturday was the 10k, which was hillier than any of the previous 10k runs I’d completed. It was a beautiful day, hot and humid but sunny and filled with the energy of a race. I had given myself a little time off from running before Livestrong to avoid injury, but when I checked my pace early on I was horrified to find myself running a pace of 13:40 per mile. Increasing my effort throughout the race and ending with a heart rate over 200–kind of a crazy number–I was able to shave more than a minute off that 13:40 pace.

I had that faint taste of vomit in my mouth, but I didn’t. I gave it everything I had. It wasn’t my best race ever but I was satisfied with my result–my time was okay but more importantly I had achieved the rare negative split–I ended the race at a faster pace than what I started it at.

Sunday would be a different story.

1. Penina Says:
   April 25th, 2011 at 6:18 am

   Ryan, I know that you will never see this, but leap-frogging with you through the 10K, and watching you fight so hard with yourself to succeed was inspirational. It’s been a joy to know you even if it was for such a short time. Mahalo and Shalom… may this next journey be everything that you have earned.