Race For the Cure

Me and my girl, Brandi.. and yes the fountain is PINK!!!



Tanya and me.. she is one of my biggest cheerleaders!

Tritia Grubbs suggested that I start blogging about my runs to maybe motivate me later... well... today was the my first ever 5k race... Unfortunately, all week I have felt crummy. I have had a terrible sinus infection with headache and sore throat etc. Friday night I think I may have had a fever... I felt HORRIBLE... But I was NOT going to miss the race. This is what my first goal was and I could not fail this soon into it!! So I got up this morning and I actually felt better than I did yesterday so I thought I can definately do this... We got to the race really early because there are THOUSANDS of people and parking stinks. We spent a couple of hours walking around people watching. The race for the cure is like no other race... it is so emotional for so many women and their families. You would see daddies with their small children and on the daddy's shirt it would say 'in memory of my wife etc.' It was hard to hold it together.. .but really made me realize how blessed I have been in my life. I met up with a dear friend, Brandi, who like me has just started running and this was her first 5k as well. We have never ran together due to our schedules but were excited about running together today.. I warned her I was very slow!!
We got started and mind you I did not have my ipod... I had a lot in my hands and decided not to bring that. I regret it but it will prepare me for my longer races. I started out really well, all smiles... I got to see Craig and the kids on the side cheering me on... but then there was this gradual hill... THat about killed me. I have not ran alot of inclines and boy did I pay for that. Then, I felt like I could not breathe, because I was going faster than ususal due to the race environment. My cold/sinus infection was kicking in... Sweet Brandi stuck with me the WHOLE way when I just knew she could go faster but she never left me... Seriously ya'll, I really thought I was going to die. I was determined not to walk... and I didn't. We finally could see the finish line in front of us. It was all I could do not to just bust out and cry. Brandi and I finished side by side!! It felt sooo good, well actually I felt horrible, but great that I reached my first goal in this journey of mine! I also have gotten texts, messages , card from so many people encouraging me... it is so nice to have such great friends surrounding me... I DID IT!!!! now... I am working on a 10k which seems almost IMPOSSIBLE... this about killed me.. (I am hoping it is because I am sick and not 100%). The best thing was finding Craig and the kids and just hugging their necks!! They are the best!
Here are pics from this fabulous day!
To all the women and families that have been touched by Breast Cancer, I ran for ya'll today and it felt good!