I DID IT!
I had so may thoughts and emotions going on in my mind throughout the race. One of them was whether I was going to make it considering my recent injury. But thankfully, I had a great coach and teammates that believed in me and said I could do it and we stuck it out and made it. Having gone through this training program and raising money for this organization has been one of the best things I have ever done in my life and I wouldn't change any part of it! And as I was running in the race, I thought about my wonderful experience.....
This experience made me stronger; I gained endurance; I gained knowledge about gels and sports drinks and athletic wear; I learned determination; I gained discipline with my actions and nutrition, especially during the holidays; I learned that waking up that early on a Sat is not all that bad; I learned to enjoy the surises, sunsets, running in pouring rains, running in freezing temperatures at 5AM, running in sandstorms in Ft Lauderdale beach where I would get free microdermabrasions (I'm not kidding either), running up bridges, boy do I hate them, but I have to thank them for the workout which prepared me for my success; I learned how to run away from dogs chasing me around my neighborhood, funny site, too; I learned more about blood cancers; I learned to use my employer's gym which I never used before; I learned to jog and have conversations with others for the entire 12 mile jog; I learned that there are still wonderful great people out there who have a warm heart and helped me raise money for this cause by eiher donating money or attending a charity event; I met friendly people who are so so kind and compassionate about this cause that they have done this training and fundraising more than once; I learned more about sports related injuries (hands on, that is), that was unfortuante, but it's still knowledge that I gained; I learned that I can really make a difference and this was the most important lesson. There were so many things that I felt at that moment that I could not put them into words. All I can say is that it was life changing and I will never forget it.
I have tons of more pictures and videos....see link. Sorry too many to post on this site.
