Monday, March 31, 2008

I DID IT!!!!




I started running shortly after Conner was born in hopes of losing the baby weight I gained with him (okay AND his 3 older siblings, but whatever). So I saw all these expensive diet programs and pills and whatever and figured I could spend crazy amounts of money that way and hope it worked, or I could spend $800 on a treadmill and get my ass in gear and have no one to blame but me.

At first I would spend 20 minutes walking and be exhausted. Then I started jogging. I loathed it, but wanted to get my moneys worth out of that damn machine. Slowly I started to enjoy it. It was 30 minutes a day that was for ME. I couldn't take care of anyone while I was running. No one could ask me to get a sippy cup of milk or crackers, change a diaper or do a load of laundry. I could think my own thoughts without being interrupted (for the most part) or even watch TV if I angled it right.

Over the past 4 years I have slowly built up to running 3 miles at a time. I am proud of that because I have never considered myself athletically inclined. I always wanted to be, but circumstances kept me from finding out if I could be when I was younger. But I really think I could've been. Besides being super competitive, I like how good it makes me feel.

So I set a goal for myself last year. i really wanted to run the Capitol 10k here in Austin. I wanted to prove to myself I could do it. Of course life gets in the way and kids schedules, so I didn't get to last March. This past fall when drinking with coworkers, the gauntlet was thrown and I got a little mouthy about how awesome I would do if I really did it. 6.24 miles- a lot of it uphill. So the challenge was accepted and I was signed up for this past Sunday's race.
I have slowly trained myself at home and then on a course in the park with my 13 year old daughter for the past 6 months. Saturday I had to work until 11:30 and didn't get to bed until almost 1am. A lot of people punked out and said they weren't going- I even got the free pass excuse "Don't go- no one will blame you." But I would've blamed myself. So Sunday morning, I got my tired ass out of bed and headed to the race.
If you've never seen photos of the Cap 10k before, please do so. It is an amazing sight to see Austin streets shut down for the parade of over 30,000 runners. It was raining, so my friend B and I felt very hard core.

We ran 10 minute miles for the first 3 miles and then I started backsliding. i told her to go ahead because those hill were kicking my ass. Because oh yeah, I NEVER use the incline on my treadmill for a reason. IT HURTS.

I finished in 1hour, 17 minutes and 5 seconds- an average of 6 12 minute miles. I crossed the finish line with no one taking pictures of me and no one congratulating me. Except the girl inside me who was crying because I was so happy and so proud of myself. And THAT. That is what made it all more than worth it.
I am sore- so sore today. But it's a good kind. Its the kind that keeps reminding me that I did it!

1 comment:

christelpistol said...

i am SO unbelievably proud of you!