6 Sleeps...

This was me one year ago this week...

I was nervously waiting for my very first 5K to begin.  I had trained for 12 weeks with the CT5K team & Coach Bob.  I had no idea if I could actually run 3+ miles without walking, but this was going to be my first ever try & I wanted to puke just thinking about it.

This is not the face of a confident runner...

But, I did it!

Survivors finishing CT5K Spring 2011

I ran with the team again in October 2011 & signed up for a 5K in December, just for fun.  

This year I am running with Team Fight, another program of the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults.  And in 6 days I will run my first 7 mile race.  If you had told the me in the above pictures that in just one year I would be running a 7 mile race, I would've laughed in your face.  Seriously.  In fact, just a few weeks ago I was laughing at the thought!  

I have been training since January--worked up to 5 miles, 6 miles & even struggled through a 7 mile run a couple weeks ago.  Yesterday morning I got a text from my running buddy & partner in crazy...

One week from now we will be basking in the afterglow of our run!  I'm getting excited!

One week?  Crap.  After some joking back & forth, she sent me off for the day with much confidence that not only are we gonna rock the 7 miler next Sunday, but we'll kick butt in October when we do the half marathon together!  EEEK!  

Well, I decided to pull one more 7 mile training run out before I cut back for the week...and took off to the street with my iPod, inhaler & water bottle.  I was about 1.5 miles into the run, feeling good still, when I saw this cute man coming the opposite direction.  

With eyebrows arched, "Wassup?" he says.  This cute boy decided to run the rest of my 7 with me.  And we did it.  It was ugly.  I got to 5 miles feeling pretty good.  He asked me at one point if he was pushing me?  I said "Honey, you push me even when you're not physically here."  

But that last mile was torture.  Of course, if you know my husband, you know he's a chatty little thing.  He kept asking me questions, to which he expected me to have the breath to answer.  He is also the most optimistic person on the planet & kinda makes me crazy.  He says "Running is stupid" under his breath & then literally runs a circle around me waiting for me to catch up.  "You're doing great!"  "You're so awesome!"   When I told him to just shut up, I reminded him that this was like child labor--I love you, I adore you, I thank you for the thought BUT if you don't SHUT THE F#*K up RIGHT NOW, I'M GONNA PUNCH YOU IN THE FACE.  Yeah, it was kinda like that.  He just laughed & said "I know."  But he did shut it.  Until I hit the ever-so-slight incline on one end of our street & I started swearing.  He goes, "You got this!"  Yeah, it helped.  But don't tell him I said so. 

So, when we got to 6.8, he ran ahead the extra .2 & stood there with his hand out for me.  I hit his hand & immediately--like I had timed it somehow--Martina started singing "I'm Gonna Love You Through It" in my one ear that I still had the iPod attached.  I looked at that adorable smile on my man's face & started crying. He took my hand & we walked back to the house quietly.  

It was EXHAUSTING.  But I did it.  And I know on race day it will be fantastic!  I think Michelle was right--there's gonna be a whole lot of basking & glowing on Sunday!  I actually *might* be excited myself!