Mission Accomplished

I did it. I set some fitness goals at the beginning of the year as a part of my journey to a healthier life. One goal was to get off of blood pressure medication and the other was to participate in a 5K. I have been working on achieving this goal for quite a while. I knew I wasn't ready to run the full course, but I knew I could run part and walk part. The local Y was having a 5K Run/Walk and I decided I was ready to give it a go. Saturday was the big day. For some reason I was more than a little nervous. I am not sure why, I have been practicing this same distance for a while and improving my time. I knew I could do it. I think it may have been the fact that even though I have lost over 40 pounds I was still the biggest person there. Also when I got there, there were all these runners that looked a lot more prepared than I felt. Kip gave me a little pep talk and reminded me that I had been preparing for this and could do it.

I do most of my training indoors, either on a treadmill or an indoor track. Even though the race was at 8:00 am, it was already hot. That slowed me down a little. The Y had set up water stations at a couple of points on the course. On TV when you see people running races they run past those stations, grab a water and never slow down. I know myself a little too well to even attempt that, I know how clumsy I am! So that slowed me down a little too. I really wanted to finish in under an hour and even with those factors that slowed me down a little, I had a time of 55:21. Other than finishing in under an hour, I had no other time goals that I was trying to beat. I have been doing that same distance quicker than that most days, but all things considered, I was very happy. Next one, I will just try and beat that time.

See that smile on my face? That is the smile of a person that set a goal, worked hard and achieved it! It is the smile of a person that no longer sees herself as broken and weak. The smile of someone that knew she was strong enough to do this. The smile of someone that was looking into the face of someone that believed in her as she crossed that line. I think Kip's smile was a big as my own. He know how hard I have worked and wanted this. Having him there meant more to me than I can describe. I am proud of myself for what I did, but to be acknowledged by someone that knew what a struggle it was to get to this point meant a lot.

I am sure you tell in this picture how much I am leaning to one side. I do that when I get tired and the more tired I get the more I lean. That is the main reason that I use a cane on occasion. I was tired at the end of this and it showed. But I was happy that I had done it and that I had finished. This was a very big deal to me for several reasons. A little more than a year ago I wouldn't have been able to make it to the end of the parking lot without a cane and on this day I did the full 3.1 miles with nothing but my determination and the backing of my training. I knew I was strong enough to do this.