Bloomsday

Almost 20 years ago I made my friend Loretta do Bloomsday with me.  I did have to drag her along for part of it (and she hasn't let me forget it yet).  That was the last time I joined 50,000 people to walk or run 12k (7.5 miles). 

I signed up this year as motivation to start getting into shape.  I didn't train as much as I should have but I didn't give up either so that's good.  It helped that I roped many of my friends into joining me. 

The race was Sunday, May 6.  On Saturday morning I woke up with a very sore throat that developed into a cough through the day.  I was completly out of energy and very worried that I was going to HAVE to bag the race.  I worried about it a lot!  I really didn't want to let down my friends.

On Sunday morning I was feeling a little better.  I loaded my pocket with cough drops, and geared up for the walk.  I told myself that I wasn't running.  I wasn't going for a time.  I was simply going to do the race and know that I can complete it. 

I made the kids do it with me.  And at the last minute Aaron also signed up to walk with us.  I was pretty sure my youngest would pull me along and I'd have to be a cheerleader for the older one. 

Every racer has a bib with a number on it.  Embedded in the bib is a chip that is activated when you cross the starting line and certain points along the race, including the finishing line.  It gives you your personal race statistics.  This is new technology for me!  They didn't do this 20 years ago!!

The race started at 9:00.  The elite runners are able to head off at this time.  Then the next group is lead to the starting line and funneled through.  Then the next group, etc.  I signed us up for the next to last group (lilac).  The blue group was in front of us.  Blue group people expect to cross the finish line in 2.5 hours or more.  I expected 3 hours or more.  It took 45 minutes (and probably a mile of walking!) for our group to get to the starting line!! 

We started out at a reasonable pace.  We weren't passing people, but plenty of people we passing us.  I knew that we had a long way to go and I didn't want to blow all my energy right at the beginning.

The kids started to look for the big orange mile makers.  They were able to keep track of where we were.  The oldest started to complain about 5 miles in.  He twisted his ankle and was pretty tired of walking.  He powered through though.  The youngest only complained of having to go to the bathroom!  But by the time we waited in the line for the honey bucket, we could have finished the race, so I encouraged him to keep going.  About halfway through people started to slow down.  We were passing people!  We caught up to people who had started in the group before us. 

The clock at the finish line when we crossed said 3:10:57.   But remember that it took quite a bit of time to get to the starting line.  The chip in my bib said I made it 12K in 2:26:15. 

My overall place was 38,385 (out of 47,841 finishers)
And it took me 8 minutes to cruise up Doomsday hill!
I walked with a pace of 19:36 per mile. 

I  made it.  We all did.  And now I have a number to beat next year!
http://www2.brightroom.com/97735/64254

Update on Gold Rush Marathon & Double Digit Bid

I know, I know - I am a slacker!! I haven't posted in a while and I am sorry. I have had a lot on my plate lately. That is normal I know, but I had a lot more than normal in the last month which is why I have been so lax. Luckily that doesn't mean that I have slacked off with my weight loss, although I must admit that it hasn't been going as well as I had planned and I am definitely behind where I wanted to be by this time this year, but that's ok. We will get there in the end. Anyway, I really wanted to fill you in on how the Gold Rush Marathon went. There are a few things I feel the need to mention. First of all, it was harder that I thought it was going to be and I thought it was going to be hard!! I guess my mind was in a tiny bit of denial and probably didn't want to acknowledge the fact that it was a rainforest run. I didn't really think too much about the fact that it was not a run on the road, but through the rainforest. I have to admit that I really didn't start to think too much about that side of it until we were driving towards the starting point and were heading towards mountains. That's when I started to really worry!! It is probably good that I didn't think too much about it beforehand because I may not have signed up for it in the first place lol!! Anyway, we did it. I had a lot of support doing it and that really helped. My sister & her husband, his brother, myself & my daughter Nataasjia all did it and finished. I was last but I really don't care. I was so proud of myself that I actually did it. I finished that damn run and I didn't stop running almost the whole time. At some points it was just too hard to run and so I was forced to walk. You have to realise that this run was through a rainforest. I know I have said that a few times lol!! We had to wade through about 18 creek crossings (the wet feet actually became soo refreshing towards the end!!!), pick our way over rocks, through mud, avoid tree roots & fallen branches and weave our way through nasty plants hanging over the path. We were also told in the briefing before the race to watch out for leeches, spiders overhead & snakes on the path. Why the heck did we still do it you may ask?!! I am asking myself the same question lol!! But we did and I know I am glad that I did. I don't know if I will ever do it again, but I guess you just never know. I came last, but I don't care in the slightest. I was the biggest person there & I finished it. I fell over not once, not twice, but yes - three times and I was so frustrated with myself, but I picked myself up and kept going. My knee hurt after the first time, but I was not going to give in and just told myself to keep going. I could hardly walk that afternoon and the next few days, but I finished that darn race and that was all I cared about!! We can do it! There is a saying that they have written on the board at my gym and it is something that I have definitely learnt in the last year or so - "If you say you can or you can't, you are right. You can do whatever you tell yourself you can" or words to that effect. It is so true. It is our minds that stop us & I am determined that mine will not stop me because I am telling it everyday that I can and I will. As to my weight loss of late, I realised that I did not get back to update you all on my double digit bid. I did actually make it. It was right down to the wire, but I really wanted it and I ended up getting that magic number - JUST!! I didn't care - I just wanted to see two digits on the screen instead of three and you have no idea how long it has been since I had seen it and how so absolutely fantastic it was TO see it. It still brings a tear to my eye, although that is probably just because I am such a sook lol!! I have to admit I haven't gotten much further as I guess I have taken my foot off the pedal a bit due to having so much on my plate. But that is life and I have been endeavouring to rectify that in the last couple of weeks. While saying that, I do believe that although I haven't lost the numbers on the scales, I have actually lost centimetres of late which I will confirm in a couple of weeks when I have a measure at curves. I am pretty sure that is the case though because I could feel my ribcage when I had a shower last night. It was quite funny actually because it has been such a long time since I had felt it, I didn't at first realise that it was my ribcage lol!! It is such an awesome feeling and I think I will keep feeling for it in the next few days just to make sure it is still there!! It seems such a little thing to most people probably, but to me it is definitely not a small thing. Anyway, that is enough from me for now. I know that Krista is probably just about to do her Bloomsday walk and I hope that she will be updating us on that. I can't wait to hear how it goes! My friends who started their journey this year are also going well, as I hope are all of you. We can do it if we just believe in ourselves and tell ourselves we can!! Shari