I did it!

[Guest guest]

What a fun and emotional day!   As you all know it was the Shamrock Run 15K.  I've done this race every year since 2008 but this was my first 15K, and I loved it!  Making my way to the starting line is first of all, emotional, because there are bagpipes playing and that always gets me right here <pounds chest>, not to mention Grant High School singing the National Anthem - that always stirs happy emotions in me too.  Most of all though, my friends Sam, Dylan and found me!  There were 32,000 runners this year, not to mention their family members so this is a veritable sea of people we're talking here!  There were 7500 15K runners, and we started off the day's races at 7:45 am.

Next emotional event was early on at Mile 1, believe it or not!  I had to pee really bad and had to wait in line for 15 minutes but it was worth it, and we were all laughing at how far behind we were getting by this derailment, and there I saw this man I don't know by name but see at every single bridge walk on my lunch break, and we chit chatted for the first time!

I was literally laughing out loud, because for awhile I really was last!  Even the police car escorts were ahead of me and some of the speedy fast 8K runners where whizzing on past me LOL.  When we got back to going up Broadway the traffic cop had to literally stop traffic just for me and a few others to pass (I'm so special I stop traffic, LOL!!!) I thanked all of them, they did a super job today!

Once we got up past PSU it turned into the hilly Terwilliger more quickly than I thought it would - yay!  In my mind I thought it was farther away for some reason.  It was challenging starting Mile 4 but not really that bad compared to running up at Mt. Tabor near me which is way steeper.  I did walk for around 10 minutes in this part, and I'm glad I did - Angry Ankle and Fussy Hip enjoyed the break. 

At Mile 6 was a nice surprise - another bagpipe band!   More tears!  Then you turn a corner to start going downhill, and I was grateful that it was a gradual decline, because Wonky Knee does not like steep downhills, I'd rather go steep up than down to be honest even though it's harder. 

My pace picked up a little at Mile 8 and Mile 9, and a couple minutes after Mile 9 was the finish line!  I got teary again, not only because I finished, but due to timing chip technology as soon as my foot hit the blue pad the announcer said on the loudspeaker, " Kraft bringing home the 15K!  Congratulations!! " . 

I wasn't last at any rate, and as soon as I got my medal I ditched the scene to go back to my office and head home.  For most races I enjoy staying after and enjoying the festivities but 32,000+ people is just too much for this LouLou to handle.    I came home, took a hot epsom salt bath, then took a cat nap with cats.  I'm taking tomorrow off as a vacation day to sleep in, recupe, and clean this messy house!