5k Baby!! Done.

So today was the day that I have been building up to for 10 weeks! My 1st official 5k! Yes, I am a DORK b/c I have been super excited about it...started a blog about it...told everyone that would listen that I was running (if you are sick of me talking about it I am sorry, I appologize).

Anywhoo...us Janes (the name of our running group) ran in the race today, what a great way to start the 4th of July. Probably 8 of us from the group attended today. Two of my very good buds ran with me today....Maria and Emily, (Baby Wills Mom ....and thanks to her hubbie KT for being the official race photograper). Let me just say that these ladies are amazing!! Both of them had babies last summer...Maria, twins in July, and Emily, BW in August! And they ran a 5k today!! I am so proud of them. They kicked bootie!

Me & ET Pre-Race...Hey ET? WOOT!!!

So the race...we got there early, a little before 8am...the race started at 8:30...the rush was great! But as with everytime I run, I was tired about 7 or 8 mins into it, thinking "I can't do this"...but that feeling eventully wears off and you get into your zone. And it is great. And the FUNNY thing about today was that we were running through the route of a parade that was supposed to start at 9am. LOL So the streets through MOST of our run were loaded with HUNDREDS of people sitting out on the curb, with their wagons, kids dressed in red white and blue, flags, chairs and BISCUITS (there was a Mrs. Winners right there) watching us run! LOL It was almost comical. Watching them eat their biscuits about made me sick, but I charged on. And they would occasionally cheer so that kept you going...but it was funny. It was an out and back course, meaning, duh...you run out and then turn around and come back the same way. It seemed to take FOREVER before we got to the turn around, at about 1.6 miles. Then there was water....and that was nice! Even though I had my water bottle. When we hit the 2 mile mark it got me going...I could tell I had slowed down CONSIDERABLY in my pace but I didn't care. I was NOT running for time...just to DO IT and FINISH (and not finish last). The final push was soon upon me...and it was literally downhill pretty much from there. YEAH!!

I finished with the gun time of 35 mins 57 seconds (my watch said about 35 mins 50 seconds b/c I hit it when I ACTUALLY started running, which was a few secs later than the gun time b/c of the crowd)....my pace was something like an 11:36 mile, and I didn't walk at ALL!...and as I was coming in and rounding the corner I could see the clock...I sped up super fast b/c that clock was NOT going to tick to 36! ha So I did it...I felt like I was having an asthma attack of some kind when I stopped but I was better in about 1 minute. The rush was great and it was so nice to see family and friends at the finish there waiting!!

Coming in...I was movin!! (This is a terrible pic, I look HUGE but I love it anyway! ha)

Last few feet!!!

Me, Maria & ET...tired but happy!

ET & Me with our Janes coach Liz! I LOVE HER.

I am so glad I did this! Our coach Liz and the Janes program and my awesome friends (who I bugged to participate with me) have given me a new lease on life! I am stronger, healthier, more positive...and best of all....I AM A RUNNER!!