You bet your buns I ran it...

This weekend was quite eventful for me! I decided a couple months ago I would run/walk in the Salt Lake City 5k. My sister Angela ran the full Marathon, My brother Jeff, sister Kylee, Sister-n-law Lindsey all ran the Half Marathon, and My sister-n-law Jana, Nephews Josh and Payton and my mom all ran in the 5k and cute little grace was pushed in the stroller. This is all of us outside our Hotel at about 5:45 am, The marathoners caught the bus at the hotel and it took them to the start and the rest of us 5kers went to the gateway to catch our bus!! My Cousins Scott also ran the 5k and Erin ran the half. They were not at our hotel so they are not in the picture..darn it!

I will admit I was a little nervous to do it, I fully new I would not be able to physically run the whole thing! I was ok with that. I have been working out faithfully for the last two months and I have also been eating right..no more fast food for me unless its Subway! Of course the night before the race no one could sleep especially Angela..by 4:30 am we were all awake, I will tell you it wasn't an alarm clock that got us all out of bed..ask Angela about that!!

(This is me, Angela,and Kylee the day before at the expo..notice the turtle on my hat indicating that I am slow..ha ha!! I am!! )

I decided that time didn't matter, all that mattered was that I finished. I will admit I wanted to finish under an hour! First off my mom decided to do the 5k that day before..crazy, good for her!! The race starts and I take off running, doing pretty good..I am assuming that my mom is walking so I have passed her, but then I look over to the side and there she is running next to me and I decide there is noway I will be the first one to walk. Not sure when she stopped, but I kept on going!! I ran most of the first mile..pretty proud of myself, then I decide that I am going to get under 50 minutes. I am just a cruising along..so I think. Then at about the 1.5 mark I get a nasty side ache..hate them. I have slowed my walk way down. I really think I might die. I kind of hit a wall and thought i might not make it, so I start praying for my side ache to go away and that I might have enough energy to finish strong. Next thing I know a little hand grabs my hand and I look down and there is Payton..he looks at me and says ready to run and we start running. At this point I feel energized...by the way we held hands the whole way. We ran for about 4 blocks then we walked, I told him we were going to walk fast and he said ok and then asked if we were close to the finish line. This little six year old was quite a trooper and was just the positive energy boost I needed to finish the race!! I kept asking if he was doing ok and he would say are we almost finished, I kept saying we are getting close!! As we turned down the home stretch we started running and then I hear my cousin Scott screaming at me which gave me another good energy boost. When we saw the actual finish line I looked at Payton and said you ready to run real fast..he said yes then I told him we would sprint to the finish line. I said go and he let go of my hand and we took off, but he was too fast for me and I couldn't catch him. I just ran behind him yelling go Payton..you got it and the whole crowd cheered for him. I even heard a few of them saying he is so little! What a way to finish. Just in case you are wondering I finished in under 50 min. and cut two minutes off my mile time. My cousin Scott said I was hauling to the finish line..I believe I was!!

This is me after the race..still smiling!! (stole the pic from my cuz amber, thanks for taking it)

I know a 5k is not a big deal, but for me it was. I have been struggling so much for the last years especially with my weight and I have been working so hard to lose it, that it was good for me to actually do something that I thought I would never be able to do. I even told Jana that maybe in a year I could do a half marathon..can you even imagine!! I can......

PS...I am down 30lbs....million more to go, but I think I am more determined than ever!!