Move Along Grandma….Last Place is Mine

July 28, 2011

I pinned my bib number to my shirt, I stretched my calf muscles, made sure I had enough water in the bottles on my belt and lined up with the others at the starting line.  This is it, I thought to myself, this is what it feels like to be a real runner.  With the blast of the starter pistol the mass around me started moving, and I along with it, but within a few short minutes it became very clear…looking like a runner, acting like a runner…doesn’t make you a runner. 

Out of 78 participants, yup, you guessed it, I came in 78^th.  With a time of 42 minutes,  19 seconds.  The mass of runners was out of my sight so quickly, if I hadn’t been wearing a number on my shirt, bystanders would not have known I was a part of the race.  Although, later on when the Essex Junction Fire Department rig was following me to the finish line, this same number let people know I was just the last runner, and not an escapee from the Chittenden County Correctional Center.

Yes I was last, but I finished.  A few adolescents, Dads with baby joggers and two Grandmothers had pace times a full five minutes less than mine.  But they aren’t me.  As far as I know none of them have battled back from almost life threatening obesity, and don’t have the same determination and goals I do.  I have done my first 5k and for my next one I will be better, stronger and faster! 
And Grandma will be behind me

Someone Has to be Last

07-14-2011

I got my serious running shoes!

And they are not orange!  Actually, the first pair the nice lady at the Ski Rack who helped me brought out were orange, and the second pair was teal…but thankfully when I mentioned those were not my favorite colors…she brought out these.  The best running shoes for me…and they are fuchsia! J  That’s Gaston my piggy bank in the picture too…everyone needs a pink polka dotted piggy bank, right?

So Essex Junction is having their Block Party 5k Fun Run next Saturday and I am considering having this be my first official race.  I will not be able to run all of it…it will be accomplished by the 5 / 1 x 5 equation.  Or is it 5 / 1 x 7?  Let’s see, doing a 13 minute mile, times 3.1 miles equals 43 minutes,  divided by….oooh I’m starting to drool…enough of that!  Basically, I’m gonna run when I can run, and walk when I have to walk!  My sister Renee offered to run with me as moral support…but with a caveat…she doesn’t want to be the last ones in.  She can run 3.1 miles no problem.  (Damn Juniper Ridge Barbie…) But someone has to be last, and if it has to be me, well that’s the way it’s going to be.  It’s not like it’s going to take me half the day, at most I’ll be 15 minutes behind everyone else…but it’s a “FUN” run people….let’s remember that!

My calf muscle is better, but not 100 percent.  My lungs are still working harder than I would like, but better than when I started.  I spent most of my life seriously out of shape and I can’t expect to be Flo Jo overnight…wait, she died…anyway, this is my goal and I’m going to keep pushing myself forward.  I will NOT give up!!  Come on Barbie…let’s go run.