13.1 Challenge: Success!

Well...I did it!!! :-) And I didn't die! :-)

Thanksgiving morning was a change of pace for me for sure. Instead of sleeping in (as in waking up with the kids), I was up and ready to walk out the door at 5:30! We headed to pick up my dad, and off we went! It was cold. Much colder than when I normally run! We arrived at Turner Field with time to spare, and hung out in the car before heading to the corrals!

As we got into the corrals, I was still pretty chilly, although it was only in the low 40s. When the first corral started, there was so much excitement in the air...it was an awesome feeling. As we approached closer to the start line my adrenaline started pumping! They announced our corral would be starting in 1 min, so I turned on the music to get myself excited...what was the first song on my shuffle? "Build me up Buttercup" This song immediately made me smile and get excited! My dear friend Natasha and I (affectionately) would sing this song to one another. As the chorus started in the song...."WHYYYYY DO YOU...." I crossed the starting line. I forgot I was still cold, and got pumped up to run!

I was nervous how I would feel about running with 8,000 people. I am rather claustrophobic, but the people energized me and pumped me up! After a few minutes of weaving to get in to my groove, I settled on the left hand side on the edge for most of the race. I did not stop for water, but opted to carry my own. This was a good decision for me, as the 2:15 pace team stopped and I never saw them again after I passed them. It was great to be running and the first 9 miles were pretty great for me. I hit mile 9, and began to think..."this is getting a little tough" but I kept running through it! There were a million hills and it seemed that at mile 10, I had only been going uphill on a slight grade for the last 2 miles. I was hoping and praying for a downhill...or even flat land at this point. And then, from behind me, Greg comes up....yes, behind me...I had passed him and not even known it! This was a boost to my confidence. We ran together for a little bit, and then he had to walk again. Mile 11 came and I thought to myself, "I am never doing this again. I am an idiot." I saw Mile marker 12 on the top of the hill, and decided to walk the small hill. I made it to the top, turned the corner, and reminded myself...one.more.mile. The last mile was amazing. Most of it was flat, and then you turned the corner, ran up a small hill, and then....downhill to the finish line. Glorious. As I ran down the hill, I thought, "I can't wait to do this again!" Amazing feeling, as I stepped across the line. I got my medal, some water, powerade, and snacks!

Although I could barely walk the rest of the day...it was great! I felt so proud and accomplished. I had set my ultimate goal at 2 hours and 20 minutes. My official time was 2:14:58! My average pace was around 10:18 minutes per mile. I ran my 10K in 1:00:51.

My Dad did awesome! He clocked in at just seconds over 2 hours, and my hubby ran it in 2 hours and 22 minutes. Although he was disappointed in his time, I was so proud of him!

A special thanks to all of you who have encouraged me through this whole journey! I could not have done it without you!!

(the only pic from race day)