First 5k Race Recap

I actually can't believe how well I slept last night.  I certainly had pre-race jitters, but I kept telling myself that it is no different than the other 3 days I ran this week, just more people around.

I got up at 6:20, and put my clothes on, got the child out of bed and dressed, and we left around 6:50.  As soon as we pulled out of the garage I noticed it was drizzling, but definitely not thundering/lightning, and it was really light.  Yeah!!  It was about 57 degrees out and about 90% humidity according to the radio.  Humid, but cool - for June.

The race I was running was the CDI Back in Shape 5k.

We got there and I got my number (#88) pinned on, and my chip on my shoe, and met up with my group.  My Weight Watchers leader and 5 other wonderful, amazing ladies from my Weight Watchers group were all racing with me.  We took pics at the starting line, and got lined up.  The national anthem plays... REALLY SLOWLY!

Team Weight Watchers!

It was time!!!   We are off!

The first mile was so easy and amazing!  The time passed so quickly.  I seriously saw Prior Fat Girl - she was running the same race as me!!!  I passed a man that had to be in his 80s!  Seriously... I thought that is just so great, he was rockin' it.  Then we were already at the turn around and headed back.  There's where my first mistake happened - I got a cup of water and tried to drink it resulting in an immediate stomach ache.  Now I felt like I was seriously going to vomit.  My Weight Watchers leader is yelling at me the whole time - you can do it.  You are awesome!  You are not going to vomit!  Then she says "let's go hard to that sign."  I'm thinking "uh no, I just told you I'm going to vomit, how about you go hard to the sign while I vomit, okay?"  Jillian Crazy WWers leader doesn't take no for an answer.  We go hard to the sign.  She tells me my legs are as light as air.  I chuckle and think... nope I'm fatlittlelegs.  We make the last corner, and are on the home stretch.  We "go hard" to another sign, and then the last hill.  Ugh!  We can see the finish line, and I cross, arms in the sky cheering. 

I did it!!! I ran 3.1 miles, and my unofficial time is 32:17!!!  (I realize at this point I am serious violation of an overuse of exclamation points, but I really don't care).  I seriously can't believe that.  I wanted under 40.  I completely obliterated that goal!  This is from someone that 18 months ago weighed 96 pounds more than they do today.  This is from someone that 7 weeks ago didn't have running in their vocabulary. It was amazing!

I feel like I should do one of those "thank you speeches"  I want to thank the academy... But seriously... Thank you crazy Weight Watchers leader (and I mean that in the nicest way of course).  I seriously cannot tell you how much you have been a part of this journey.  I am the luckiest person alive to have you in my life, and I hope that I can make a difference for some other "fat girl" someday like you have for me.  Thank you other lovely ladies of team Weight Watchers.  You guys made it fun.  You guys pushed me to actually do this, and I did, since I didn't want to let anyone down.

Tonight I find myself on the computer looking for more races.  I swore to myself I wouldn't... and here I am. 
This one came up:
James Page Blubber Run
Awesome and hilarious... but I might have a conflict on that date

And then as if divine providence, this one came up:
The Great Prostate Cancer Challenge
And that one I am available for.  See... my dad died from prostate cancer in 2001 - I was only 23 years old.  23 years was not enough time with him.  I've now lived another third of my life without him in it.  There used to be 2 things in life that made me really miss him:
1 - He never got to meet my son
2 - He never got to see my house (He was a building contractor-I'd love to hear the critique.)
and suddenly it struck me tonight... he will never get to see me thin - all the pictures I have of me and him I'm fat in.  That makes me sad.  Dad this next one... its for you!