Team green #runrunrun!  Broad Street Run 2012!

After one hour and fifty-eight minutes, my team and I crossed the finish line.

It wasn’t all easy!

We got to the finish line just before 7am to catch the subway to the start.  It was craziness how many people were EVERYWHERE!  The race kicked off at 8.30am, but we didn’t cross the start until 9.05a.  We set out at an easy pace (about eleven minutes/mile).  The first mile flew by.  The second (for me) was rough.  But that’s pretty typical for me during a run.  I knew once I got over the 2 mile hump, I would hit a groove.  The three mile marker came up pretty fast, and then you could clearly see City Hall and Ben Franklin looming in the distance.

It was completely bananas looking up and seeing the sea of people jogging ahead of us.  It was a whole lot of dry fit, lycra and neon trim!

Some friends of mine were at the seven mile-marker, and from seven to eight was the toughest part of the run for me.  I am fairly certain that it was extra-long! 😉

Once we got to the nine mile-marker, it felt like we were almost done.  The excitement was palpable.  And just as I started to feel as though we were gonna do it, the man appeared on the sidelines and caught this snap (I was in the middle of saying ‘BABE!’). I have to admit, I nearly cried from joy for nearly being done, and for seeing him so surprisingly.  It was incredible.

Of our team (of three, because Minda wasn’t able to run), Noelle & I both had never run any sort of organized race in our lives.  Dave did a great job of helping us keep on pace and stay motivated.  We laughed from the minute we got into the car to drive down until the race started.  We were a bundle of nerves, and then it started, and even though it was scary and intimidating, we just put one foot in front of the other.

I had three goals.  To finish, to run the whole time, and to do it under two hours.  We accomplished all three.  It was such an overwhelming exciting feeling.

We’re going to do a half marathon in September.  Training starts … um, in a few days!  My legs need a little bit of a recovery.  But I know that when training does start, Lucy will be ready to help her mama train.  And the man, who has been so incredibly supportive and helpful through all of it, will be there with me again.  I have a great family ~ I’m a lucky girl.