The Big Day! Woohoooo!!!!

What an awesome experience! Wow! It was so cold as we boarded the shuttle busses to take us to the starting line! Burr!! We got there and waited forever to use the yucky port a potties, and then we stretched, and before we knew it, it was time to RUN!!!!! We lined up and got some pictures! It was such an awesome feeling! Then, they played the Star Spangled Banner, which was an even more amazing feeling. Then they let of some aerial fireworks and BAM it was time to GO!!!! It was amazing and I had so much energy! My right leg seized up, and it kind of scared me a little bit, but I ran through it and after about a mile or so, it went away. We saw Bill and the girls and Robin and Allison about mile 4 and it was so fun to see them! We were running a great pace, and it helped us even run a little faster seeing them there on the side of the road! Allison had to go to work, but we saw them about 4 or 5 more times along the course and it helped so much! Even just random strangers cheering you on was huge! I felt great! It didn't seem hard at all until we had about 4 miles left...then it started to get tiring. And then the last 2 miles were KILLER HARD! But Jenell really helped keep me motivated and going and about the last 1/2 mile we sprinted it in! It was such an amazing feeling crossing that finish line!!!! Wow! I felt such a sense of accomplishment! I can do hard things! There was a really cool cop about mile 11 who cheered Jenell and I on! I thought, "What a cool cop!" All the other cops didn't say a word and just watched but this guy was super interactive and was totally getting us pumped up! And boy did I need that at that point in the race!!! It was perfect timing! And then after the race... getting our medals, and then all the free food! We even got stretched on PT tables by Physical Therapists who were there, and later on got massages. Jenell and I had a blast! Bill and the girls and Robin were all there and we got a bunch of pictures together and it was so fun talking to them. Then they left, because Katelyn needed to get home. Jenell and I stayed for quite a bit longer just enjoying the atmosphere, music and all the booths. We took a lot of pictures and had such a blast! What a day! I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!