THE BIG DAY-NOVEMBER 26

NOVEMBER 26, 2006, WILL GO DOWN IN MY HISTORY BOOK. ONE OF MANY FIRSTS IN MY LIFE TIME. I, THE FAT GIRL, HAVE COMPLETED MY FIRST 1/2 MARATHON.

THE EXPERIENCE WAS MORE THAN I COULD HAVE EXPECTED. LAURIE AND I DECIDED TO STAY IN SEATTLE SATURDAY NIGHT, PICK UP OUR NUMBERS, AND CHECK OUT THE FITNESS EXPO. WE STAYED AT THE WESTIN, CHECKED IN, DROPPED OUR STUFF IN OUR ROOM AND WENT AND CHECKED OUT THE EXPO. AFTER THE EXPO WE DECIDED TO WALK DOWN AND FIND THE STARTING LINE FOR THE RACE SO WE WOULD KNOW WHERE WE WERE STARTING AND FINISHING.

WE FOUND A GREAT BISTRO TO HAVE DINNER IN AND HEAD BACK TO OUR ROOM TO CHECK OUT ALL THE GOODIES WE GOT AT THE EXPO. IN OUR GOODIE PACKET WAS A ARM BAND YOU COULD FILL OUR TO WEAR AT THE RACE DEDICATING EACH MILE TO SOMEONE OR SOMETHING SPECIAL TO YOU, THAT GAVE YOU PURPOSE FOR DOING THIS EVENT. SO LAURIE AND I SET OUT MAKING OUR LISTS AND SHARING THOSE SPECIAL SOMEONES OR SOMETHINGS.

IT HAS BEEN SO NICE TO HAVE A GOOD FRIEND LIKE LAURIE TO SHARE THIS EXPERIENCE WITH. WIHTOUT HER NONE OF THIS IS WOULD BE POSSIBLE. SHE HAS BEEN MY MOTIVATOR, SUPPORTER, AND FRIEND AND I AM GLAD WE ARE DOING THIS TOGETHER AND ARE IN IT FOR THE LONG HAUL. I LOOK FORWARD TO US BOTH EXPERIENCING LOTS OF FIRSTS TOGETHER ALONG OUR JOURNEY TO GOOD HEALTH.

WE THAN PLANNED OUR STRATEGY FOR THE RACE THE NEXT DAY AND THEN CRAWLED INTO THE WONDERFUL WESTIN BEDS. I MUST ADMIT THE BEDS AT THIS HOTEL WERE SO NICE. DOWN COMFORTERS, LOTS OF PILLOWS, I JUST CUDDLED IN AND WAS ASLEEP AS SOON AS MY HEAD HIT THE PILLOW.

4 A.M.-UGH!! THE ALARM CLOCK WENT OFF. WE GOT UP PLENTY EARLY FOR OUR 7:45 START. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE WERE WHERE WE NEEDED TO BE ON TIME. WHEN WE GOT TO THE STADIUM IT BEGAN TO SNOW. IT WAS AN AMAZING SIGHT, BUT NOT ONE A FIRST TIME MARATHON WALKER WANTS TO SEE, BUT THE SNOW DID TURN TO RAIN AND WE WERE PREPARED FOR RAIN. EVENTUALLY THE PEOPLE BEGAN TO ARRIVE. IT IS AMAZING THERE WERE PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE. WE HEADED TO THE STARTING LINE AND AWAITED OUR START TIME, OH AND OF COURSE HIT THE POTTY LINE, TO GET THAT OUT OF THE WAY;-), AND THAN IT WAS ARE TURN. WE GOT RIGHT UP AT THE START OF THE PACK. I DIDN'T CARE WHETHER LOTS OF PEOPLE WOULD BE PASSING US BECAUSE WE WERE NOT THE FASTEST. I WANTED TO BE AT THE BEGINNING FOR THIS EXPERIENCE, AND WE WERE OFF. I FELT WE HAD A GOOD PACE, WE HAD A GOAL OF 4 HOURS, AND WE'RE GOING TO DO OUR BEST. FIRST MILE WAS FOR JESSICA MY DAUGHTER. I WANT TO BE A GOOD ROLE MODEL FOR HER, I WANT HER TO HAVE GOOD SELF ESTEEM AND KNOW IT IS WHO YOU ARE NOT WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE THAT MATTERS, BUT ALSO THAT HEALTH IS IMPORTANT. SECOND MILE FOR JAMES, I WANT TO BE ALIVE TO SEE HIM GRADUATE, I WANT TO BE ABLE TO RUN AND KEEP UP WITH HIM AS HE GROWS, (DURING THIS MILE I KNEW GOD WAS WITH ME AS I PASSED BY 'JAMES STREET'). MILE THREE FOR MY OLDEST JACOB, I WANT HIM TO KNOW THAT HE CAN BE WHATEVER HE WANTS TO BE, AND IF A PERSON PUTS THEIR MIND TO THEY CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN. MILE FOUR, FOR MY HUSBAND JIM, THANKFUL FOR HIS SUPPORT IN MY ENDEVOR AND FOR HIS UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. MILE 5 FOR MY FRIEND LAURIE, FOR HER TO HAVE STRENGTH AND THANKS FOR STICKING BY ME AND NEVER GIVING UP, FOR A CONTINUED GROWING FRIENDSHIP, AND FOR THE BLESSING SHE IS TO ME. MILE 6 FOR GOOD HEALTH, THE REASON I AM DOING THIS. MILE 7 FOR MY GRANDKIDS, WHICH I HOPE TO HAVE SOME DAY, AND WANT TO BE HERE TO PLAY WITH. MILE 8 TO BE ABLE TO FIT IN SKINNY JEANS;-) MILE 9 FOR MOM, FOR HER TO BE WELL. MILE 10 FOR MY DAD, THAT HE CAN FIND HIS WAY TO GOOD HEALTH. MILE 11 FOR GOD, WITHOUT HIM NONE OF THIS IS POSSIBLE. MILE 12 AND 13 WERE FOR ME. I DID THIS BECAUSE I KNEW THAT THE LAST TWO MILES I WOULD BE FOCUSING ON ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER, AND I WAS, AND I MADE IT.

AS WE ENTERED THE STADIUM, AND I SAW THE FINISH LINE, I WAS AMAZED AT HOW FAST THAT 4 HOURS SEEMED TO GO. LAURIE AND I CROSSED THE FINISH LINE TOGETHER, AND THERE WAS OUR FAMILIES WAITING FOR US. IT WAS SO SPECIAL FOR THEM TO HAVE COME FOR THIS, IT WAS THE ICING ON THE CAKE. WE WERE ALSO BLESSED WITH A VISIT FROM TWO OF OUR FRIENDS FROM CHURCH WHO SURPRISED US AND SHOWED UP AT THE RACE. THEY MISSED US AT THE FINISH BUT FOUND US AND GAVE HUGS AND CONGRADS ALL AROUND. AGAIN JUST MORE ICING ON THE CAKE.

IN THE END IT WAS AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE. I HAD MADE IT. I WAS WET AND COLD, BUT I HAD MADE IT. I DO HAVE TO ADMIT THOUGH THAT AFTER THE RACE I HEADED HOME WITH MY FAMILY, WE HAD DISCUSSED GOING OUT FOR LUNCH TO CELEBRATE, AND I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE, BUT MY BODY HAD SOMETHING ELSE IN MIND, A NAP. SO WE HEADED HOME, I WARMED UP, AND CRAWLED INTO BED TO DREAM OF THE NEXT ADVENTURE ME AND LAURIE WOULD INBARK UPON!