By Annie Howard
Dana Travis is nearing the finish line.
On Village 2 Village day, March 11, she’ll put her hard work to the test.
Now that she’s in the home stretch, Travis sees just how far she’s come since she started preparing for the race in January, a journey documented by the Over the Mountain Journal.
It was “tough to run just 30 seconds” back then, she said, or at least without feeling like she was going to die. Now, she’s got a 5K under her belt.
Running can be a tough teacher, but Travis has learned a lot in the past two months as she’s trained at Resolute Running Training Center.
“When you set your mind to something, you can overcome what your body thinks it can’t do,” she said.
She can now say she enjoys, even looks forward to, her runs.
“Training with the Resolute coaches, Lisa and Jennifer, has been so much more than I thought it would be,” she said.
On Feb. 11, she put the Superhero 5K in her rear-view mirror. At half the length of V2V, that one was “a confidence-booster,” she said.
She’s determined, something that will help get her through a recent set-back – a strained knee. Bursitis has kept her off the track for more than a week.
“My spirits are bruised,” she said. “Having to rest, ice and repeat, instead of run to keep my endurance mileage up, is discouraging.”
But she isn’t letting one bum knee stop her. Despite the roadblock, she still plans to run the 10K.
CHANGES COMING
V2V is being sponsored by Schaeffer Eye Center, along with Grandview Medical Center, MDVIP, Southern States Bank, McGowin-King, and Over the Mountain Dentistry. The Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce hosts the annual run as a fundraiser and an opportunity to showcase the city.
The run will begin March 11 at 7:30 a.m. Among several changes this year, the race will start and end at The Lane Parke Development. The steep, up-hill portion of Cahaba Road, which many previous runners have complained about, has been eliminated in favor of a milder course layout. There also will be a 7.5K option for those who are not up for the full course or for walkers who want to finish in the allotted time, according to a statement from the chamber.
The event, for the first time, has added a Spirit Competition, in which residents along the race route are being asked to dress up their yards and their selves and cheer runners on. Mystery runners will judge the yards, and the family with the most spirited yard will win a pizza party.
Race Village has been revamped, as well. Before the race, runners can get coffee and take part in a pre-race warm-up.
Runners will cross the finish line to be greeted with chocolate-dipped strawberries and mimosas. The treats and other food that will be available are being supplied by local businesses.
Mason Music will provide on-stage enter-ainment for the Race After Party, which is slated to take place from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.
There will be an inflatable, face painting and games for the kids.
Schaeffer Eye Center is bringing in a charitable component of the event, the Village 2 Village 4 Vision. On behalf of V2V registrants, Schaeffer Eye Center will donate eye exams and free glasses to at-risk youth.
trants, Schaeffer Eye Center will donate eye exams and free glasses to at-risk youth.
She’ll have people rooting for her, that’s for sure.
“I know Jonathan (Travis’ husband) and our kids will cheer me on, just as they have since January 5th, when I started training,” she said.
She hopes to celebrate her first 10K finish with no knee pain or injury, especially since the celebration is continuing into the night.
V2V day is also her brother’s 40th birthday.
“For those that know our family, we only know how to celebrate big!” she said.
She’s planning on a great night with “family and friends, the most cherished people in my life.”
Travis can now see herself continuing to run even after the V2V, something she never thought she’d want.
Her mom always taught her that “when you put yourself in other’s shoes, what you learn is invaluable,” she said.
“And it turns out,” she said, “running shoes feel good.”
