I FINISHED WITH A SMILE

I DID IT! I DID IT! I DID IT! I would jump up and down but my knees are stiff. It was incredible and painful and I am doing it again next year. Mile 1-5 felt pretty good. I could breathe, nothing really hurt and my 5 mile was like 1:01 which is about average for me now. Suprisingly no real problem controlling my breathing...oh and side note I ran with NO MUSIC. After much encouragement to just enjoy and relish the experience. I left my headphones in the car. Headphones to me are like a pacifer to a baby! So it was a tough call to leave them behind. I did not regret it until the last mile and looking back I think even if I had them it would be unlikely they would have helped. The track miles were horrendously tedious. Nothing to look at but track and other tortured souls. My husband asked if I kissed the brick. I told him there could be no brick kissing because I would have probably laid down and taken a nap. Every once in a while I would glance over to the sidelines at the track to see the perky young teenage cheerleaders cheering for us. The cheer I liked the most was when they said something like "walk it run it we don't care" and then something about just doing it. I was in my "Kim far away zone" at that point... its the same look I get when I am on the treadmill or my Thursday runs. Any way I just walked thru the water breaks up to that point. After the track it started to get rough. That was right in the 8-9 mile part. It was very helpful that Leo marked it for me in Lafayette miles. He would be like okay we're at the 4th Street hill mark on our Thursday run. Then he would say okay were at Teal Road. That really kept me from panicking! The last couple miles I had to walk some because my legs felt like lead. Strange though...the breathing that has been an ongoing problem for me was not a problem today....The last 1/2 miles was very rough then the last 1/4 mile all I remember is I was smiling and thinking "I am gonna finish..I gonna finish", I could see the finish line and they called my name over the loud speaker! I had to ask Leo is that our finish...because I could not believe I was finally there. I felt like bursting into tears when I crossed under. I am so happy that my friends encouraged and encouraged me to do this...because this I was filled with this incredible feeling of joy! Next year my goal is 2:40 and I will not start in Corral V.

Highlights:

Dinner the night before: Hooked up at PF Changs with Leo, Maggie, Jeff, Karen, Glenn and two other couples that I can't remember their names. I think one was Leo's nephew....I am tired right not I can't hardly think....Good food and excellent company!


Stay girl stay: Leo parks me in the corral. Points to a spot tells me to stand right there while he goes to the back to give something to his nephew in a back corral..yes there were just a few corrals behind us. I see Dana, Mike and Cathy they wave and yell. I run over to them all excited to see my friends. I get hugs and well wishes! OH NO I have let my spot. When I look over Leo has returned and is standing in the spot shaking his head! I bid Danna, Mike, Kathy and Russ farewell, asked Danna and Kathy to please drag me to the finish line if I collapse (and to please make sure my shirt stays down to retain my modesty) and high tail it back to my spot with explanation as to why I strayed. Hahahahahaha

I was not looking around at the start of the mini just walking to the start line staring ahead, trying to decide what on earth was the matter with my brain for signing up and I glance over and there was my family! I was so excited to see them.

My shirt: I had several people comment on my fat picture on my shirt and it was most encouraging and made me not want to quit. Thank you to Rebecca for coming up with my logo!

The bands were great on the sidelines! I heard some Guns and Roses, Mellencamp, Poison, Areosmith...all the music that makes a girl of the 80's happy. We did hear one band and ohhhhh they were horrible.

I was advised by Leo at the beginning there would be lots of hooting and hollering and laughter but after the track it would be silent just the slapping of shoes on the pavement. It was true! No laughter, no hooting, no hollering...just slap slap slap...it was very strange.

Silence of the Kim: Few words were spoken by Kim on account of I had to concentrate. But my friends are use to that...they know when I am done I will make up for the running silence. Maybe someday I too will be able to chatter! I think this is the longest stretch I have gone with out talking aside from my dental surgeries.

Big Girls Galore: I found my big girls. I was content.

My family: I love you so very much and am the most blessed woman in the world for having you! Thank you for all your love and support. Especially thank you to my husband who has put up with my training for months and months and listening to me rattle on about my corns and callouses (yes Honey I am gonna get that pedicure). And putting up with my early to bed early to rise schedule. Thank you Kendra for doing dog duty...thank you Tasha and James for sleeping on the fold out so I could sleep in the nice cushy hotel bed and thank you Jerry, James and Tasha for sitting for hours waiting for me to finish!

Proud of all my Y Friends. I am beaming with pride for all my Y friends! I love each and every one of you and you have greatly enriched my life! Thank you for encouraging me to be all that I can be!

Giant Dessert: On the way home from Indy we stopped to eat and I had a giant dessert and then felt sick sick sick. A couple of times I thought I was going to have to ask Jamie to pull the van over but I paid 5.00 for that dessert and I did not want to waste it by throwing it up. FYI: try the blonde brownie from Applebees....

Things I have Gained/Learned from the Mini:
Gross Item: If you are constipated...run a mini!
Thursday climate runs do pay off.
I will not die after doing 13.1 miles
10k's no longer scare me. I might still be last but the distance no longer scares me.
I wanna do another...not anytime soon though...but I am gonna work my butt of this summer and get stronger.

Random Thought while doing the Mini: Every time I saw a pit stop I kept thinking "This is just like in Georgia and Florida when you see all those Stops that sell the Oranges and Pecans" I think this thought might have been oxygen deprivation or dehyrdration induced.

Scary moment: After the finish I went to go to the bathroom (see Gross Item above) and then I started to get dizzy and bleck feeling. My blood sugar went bump so I had to sit down...hoping I could hold off on that bathroom issue...and eat some jelly beans. It took a minute to get my brain wrapped around that I had to get the jelly beans out of my pocket and into my mouth and about 7 minutes to recover and then I was as right as rain! I kept looking around thinking boy I wish my family was here because I really don't feel good and that I should have had someone at the finish have my meter. Next time I will eat some jelly beans at the last 5k mark.
Okay that is all for now cause I am tired. My son has my finish on video and he is putting it on his blog. I will let you all know when it is up so you can see what pain/happiness looks like!
Signed
13.1 miles and happy!