I’ve always been envious of runners. The high they feel once they’ve made it past mile 5 and are running on cruise control, the sense of accomplishment they feel when they beat their own record, and the effectiveness of the sport itself to keep the body in shape. When I was in middle school, I was on my school’s track team but I was a sprinter. The 100 and 200 meter dashes were my forte – I had the stamina, the quick rush of momentum, but lacked the endurance to do any distances of great length. Still, I tried to pursue jogging as a complementary form of exercise but always ended up frustrated and disappointed in myself when my legs wouldn’t carry me further than a mile before I needed to slow down and walk. 

I know about all the strategies to running – that it’s all psychological and a matter of practice and training. I also know that there really isn’t anything wrong with walk-running as the varying levels of intensity actually provide a more cardiovascular workout. Nevertheless, I couldn’t get myself to really become one with the road. I liked the idea of being a runner without all that it implied. 

So why on earth would I sign up to run a 5k in Paris? For one, it’s for an important cause. La Parisienne is an all female race which supports breast cancer research. Women of all ages and states of physical fitness can participate either as individuals or in teams. A friend of mine heard of a primarily Anglophone team called Team 100% that was put together and open to anyone who wanted to join, so we did. As a group, we had a goal to raise 10,000€ that would be donated entirely to CARE and we exceeded it by over 6,000€! 

Secondly, despite my reservations about running in any serious way, I’ve always wanted to cross a race off my life-list and to experience running with others. Furthermore, it was clearly addressed from the beginning that the race was open to serious runners, amateurs and walkers so that anyone could participate. Back in the beginning of May when I signed up, I had intended to train and run the entire thing. As you know, I seriously hurt my back toward the end of May and am actually still doing physical therapy. Running is one of the activities I’m to avoid so I knew the majority of the Parisienne would be walked and, in the end, I was fine with that. I mostly wanted to experience the excitement and sense of community in participating in the event. 

At the beginning of the race, it didn’t feel appropriate to stop and walk so I ended up running about 1.5-2k (pain-free) and fast-walking the rest with a friend of mine. After a considerable amount of inactivity, I was surprised my legs allowed me to move that fast but it felt incredible. I was super charged after the race and felt the sense of accomplishment I had so envied from “legitimate” runners. There was no judgment nor poor sportsmanship, just 22,006 (can you believe it?) women interested in running for a cause. 

 And just for fun, the aftermath.  

This year’s race ended up setting a record for the amount of money raised and the number of participants. I can’t encourage you enough to get involved next year, whether you live in Paris or know you’ll be in Paris during that time The route is beautiful, the participants are enthusiastic, and the ambiance is overwhelmingly positive. What better way to see the left bank?