Shamrock 8k

So......I finished.  It was awesome.  I haven't run a race since 2002 or 2003.  That was a Marathon Relay that I did with my dad and some of our close friends who ran for my dad's best friend, Jeff Janness.  My dad and him an his first marathon together.  Jeff passed away the next year from Colon Cancer.  Running has always been a part of my childhood.  I always ran the fun run mile while my dad ran the big race when I was a kid.  I ran a few 5k's and other events.  But in the past 5 or 6 years I wasn't really able to run because I was so fat.

As I said in my last post.  I was excited to do the race.  As an athlete my whole life it was pretty frustrating to be so fat that I couldn't even compete in anything.  My health had consumed me.  it had controlled my ability to do the things I wanted.

It's funny that every week i keep dropping weight.  Small and large drops.  But that doesn't matter.  As long as I am losing I am happy.  It also great to feel healthy.

Saturday morning I was nervous.  Not too nervous like I am usually but just enough.  There were a ton of people there.  I think they said over 8,000 people running the 8k.  Starting the race kind of sucked.  Thee were a ton of walkers ahead of my corral (who shouldn't of been) and a bunch of run-walkers.  Both them of them made it really difficult to keep a pace.  I just tried to listen to my music and concentrate on myself.  Because of my foot injury I wasn't able to get up to 4 miles in my training.  But when I hit the 4 mile marker and saw my family I felt awesome.  I knew I had ran farther than I have in a very long time.  As I ran past my family, I gave my future daughter our secret handshake that I give her on my wife's belly everyday.  I know she knew it was me.  It felt awesome.  I knew I was doing this for her too.  So I can be the healthy dad she needs.

But more importantly I FELT FREE.  For the first time in a long time I felt free.  It was awesome.  I felt like I could run forever (probably not the smartest idea though).

As I finished it felt amazing.  I had accomplished something I didn't think was possible even 6 months ago.

I got to have one beer and then we headed to my kids baseball tournament.  Non stop all weekend.

Side Note: I EARNED 27 ACTIVITY POINTS ON SATURDAY. 27!!!