MARCH 1: RUN FORREST RUN!

First let me start out by saying WHOA- I just realized it was March. I feel like I just now put my champagne glass down from toasting the new year...where did the months go?

My workout buddies and inspiration/motivation every week (pre-run at my house)

Well this past weekend I completed another item on my "bucket list"! I ran in the Junior Auxiliary River Run 10K. The whole thing came about in such a funny way. My friend Jennifer that I do turbo kick with asked a few of us if we wanted to do the 5K fun run together and we all were on board. I went to register and this rush of adrenaline came over me and instead of checking the 5K box I thought to myself "dooooooo it Shannon" and decided to check that glowing box below...THE 10K! So the next day at turbo kick I informed the other girls what I had done and requested that someone accompany me in misery...all but one were in! Keep in mind none of us are runners in fact none of us could remember the last time when we ran 6.2 miles...in a row...without being chased (but as my dad can tell you "spontaneity" is my middle name).
Now what??? Well it was 2 weeks till the run and we had to hit the pavement.

I was at the mercy of an upset stomach my second week and there were times when I thought I was overzealous and God was telling me this was not a good idea....but I got over whatever bug I had and made it to race day! I was SO nervous. Lee Lupher told me Forrest Gump wasn't nervous and he ran forever and then Mom told me just remember one foot in front of the other (which I actually told myself when I so badly wanted to walk) Then I made it to the top of the last hill and saw that beautiful finish line- my friend and I high fived each other and all the sudden unbenounced to me, my legs took off as fast as they could. I did it! I not only ran the whole time but I actually finished the race...WHOA! With a time of 1hr 1min, i finished 5th in my age category!

About 5 feet from the finish line!!

I wish you could bottle up the feeling when you cross that finishline. In my bottle you would see a mixture of pride, excitement, sheer exhaustion, confidence, pain in joints I never know I had, and overwhelming anticipation for the next race I want to run!

Shannon, Courtney, Jolene, and Shannon right after the race!

So my next goal is the Double Decker 10k in Oxford, April 24. I ran this weekend in 45 degrees, now let's see if I can handle 85 degrees!

You have powers you never dreamed of. You can do things you never thought you could do. There are no limitations in what you can do except the limitations of your own mind. -- Darwin P. Kingsley