running from red pants and traffic

For Eve.

To celebrate Women’s Day in Cuba (March 7), the University sponsored a 3 K maratón (marathon) for all students.

As a woman, I fully support the right to celebrate a day by racing in red pants, animal backpacks and sandals. However, I could do without the stray dogs and traffic.

It was the first time I’ve ever run (on purpose) to escape a stampede of celebration…by women…in flip flops.

I have to chuckle inside because we waited three hours to register and with the sky looking ominous, I was pretty sure the race was never going to happen (most plans don’t). As you can imagine, my mentality of “I’m fine just to run on my own” was abruptly changed with “Oh crap I’m going to get hit by a teddy-bear mochilla.”

Teresa and I finally found some space where we weren’t on top of 20 other people, but we still stood out like a sore thumb because we were sporting running wear (i.e. tennis shoes, shorts and a T-shirt).

Take warning runners in the USA: Cuban marathons mean sweating not because you’re exercising, but because cars stop for no one. Not for dogs, not for celebratory marathon races---

POR NADA.

Of course we took it as an opportunity to challenge our running abilities. (CLA-RO.) Nothing gets you running faster than a 1957 Volkswagen and a stoplight.

You’ll notice in my pictures (that will hopefully upload one day) that we opted for “Eve Carson” signs rather than numbers. ..And it’s only appropriate. I was told the first week I arrived that all of Cuba cried when Eve Carson left two years ago.

You don’t have to speak Spanish to understand the magnitude of that statement.

Although no Cuban student knew her personally, the inquisitions were worth it. “Who’s Eve Carson? Well, she was here two years ago…”

We are not in Chapel Hill. But we feel it here too. And we wanted to do something.

So this is us, honoring you Eve.

This is us, missing you.