I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MAY 22 ~ check~

Wow!  I completed the 5k this morning and it was great!  It was a challenge, lesson and achievement all in one!  My family and friends were so supportive!  It was amazing to be a part of something bigger than running on my treadmill or on familiar streets.  For anyone who is not familiar Rochester is about and 1 hr 15 min. from our home.  We stayed over night at a Hilton property that took dogs.  Charlie was awesome and loved every minute of it.  The lilacs this year at the festival in Highland park were already on their way out which was disappointing but the Azaleas and Rhododendrons were blooming in full swing.  (OK< i know this is not a gardening blog) 
Anyway, the weather was cool and overcast.  There was  a lot of runners!  people were all cramming into the middle, being somewhat claustrophobic i stayed on the edge with my i-pod on; listening intently to the songs i have listened to over and over on my treadmill.  it was comforting to hear them and i told myself it's just like being at home.  (with hundreds of people in my basement :) )  So many people took off fast!  Through my reading and advice from a few people i stayed with my pace. I made my first mile ( and know now what a split is) at 12:03.  There was hills... which was stated on the website but i had know idea about the streets and what the incline would be.  But there was hills!  it was fun to see the finish line and run towards it.  I could see the time and i did not  want it to roll over to the next minute so i picked it up has i ran through.  Bill yelled out my name and the girls yelled.  I never heard Charlie say anything but i know he was proud of me too!  I walked for a bit and ate some Jelly Belly energy beans while i drank some water.  We walked to the car and went back to the hotel and we went for a swim and sat in the hot tub.  Know one was in the pool area at 9:30am on a Sunday morning so we had the whole thing to ourselves which was awesome.  Bill reminded me that when I run our church Summerfest 5k,  I would not be as pampered with hotel stay, a breakfast i don't have to make, a pool and a hot tub to relax my muscles in.  But, for the first one I am grateful.  Thank you to everyone for reading, helping, encouraging, talking, listening ...all of it.  I have an amazing family and friends!  Thank you!   About 10 weeks to the next one!!!!