It is Finished - For Real!

I wasn't the last one!

I didn't ride the bus!

No emergency personnel were summoned!

I'll begin at the beginning.

Left late Saturday morning and checked into a lovely hotel in Chicago -

The W Lakeshore

These aren't my photos, but photos from their website -

Spent the day in Chicago at a fitness expo, walking around Michigan Avenue and dining at the

Grand Lux Cafe.

It was such a change from my 'everyday' life, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

One of my friends from the Leanness Lifestyle came down to pay a visit - this is Laura, and her husband Joe.

Laura's lost over 55lbs!

Since we had a 3:30am wake up call set for Sunday morning, we bedded down early - like 8:15ish - I didn't fall asleep to somewhere around 11pm - when I did I had odd dreams that my sister was having another baby and she told me 'you aren't taking this one'. 

Ha!  Did I 'take' Aaron? 

I think I did.

I woke an hour before the call came in, because I kept thinking I was oversleeping.

I do believe I may have gotten four hours of sleep, and they weren't sound.

We boarded the shuttle bus to the race start at 5:30am -

I was seriously a tired, nervous wreck.

I kept thinking - 'why am I a doing this? I can't do this. I'm going to die.  I won't finish. How embarrassing.  I should have trained more consistently.  Holy crap, I want to go home'.

By the time it was light out, and we were all lining up, I was getting a serious adrenaline rush.

Exactly how cute are we?

Super cute, that's how.

Music was blaring, the crowd was getting pumped, and we were moving like cattle to slaughter to the start line.

Pure bliss.

Pure joy.

Pure excitement.

For the first five miles.

Our time at the five mile marker was 1 hour 12 minutes.

We were smoking.

We were talking how we were going to do this again and again!

Let's RUN it next time!

Mile 8.

Seriously?

Mile 9.

Mommy.

Mile 10.

Jesus.

Mile 11.

Joseph.

Mile 12.

Mary.

Mile 13.

It's almost over - finish strong.

We did run over the finish line as they announced our names.

I got the medal put around my neck.

I got a little choked up.

I did it.

I finished.

Quite a few people behind me too -

At one point, I kept looking behind me - and then I realized if that's not the way I was going to go, quit looking.

For a fleeting moment, after I crossed the finish line, I wanted to go to the last person and cross it with them, I really wanted to.

The spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak.

As of the day of the race, I was down 100lbs from my highest ever weight.

What I've learned from this?

Anything really is possible - if you want it bad enough.

Starting the race?

Exciting, motivating, fun.

Finishing the race?

Deeply satisfying.

Life is beautiful.