Day 344: Today's 10k Victory

Pre-Race - "What have I gotten myself into"

I prayed last night that the Lord would wake me up this morning on time to participate in this race and he honored that request.  I got up with a goal in mind, to complete this 10k race in one hour and thirty minutes, which would have put me at a 15 minute mile – totally doable.  After getting dressed and packing my bags, I did something that was completely odd….I cleaned out the refrigerator.  Who in the world does that before a race?  I was out the house by 4:45am and in Crofton to pick up a friend by 5:10.  We arrived (pretty early) to the race site at 5:30 and I was feeling good! 

Looking around at all the runners created a sense of inferiority to a degree because I don’t look like them (size wise) and I didn’t think that I would be able to keep up with them, but this very nice young lady – Ashley – comes over and strikes up a conversation with us.  It was exactly what I needed to calm down and focus on the mission at hand.

Count down – 5…4…3…2…1, the race started.  Since I was in the 16+minute pace group, it took a while to get to the starting line, but when I did, jogging I went.  Between jogging and walking, I completed the course, but a couple of things happened in the process.

A little after mile three, I yelled to myself , “What in the world are you doing this for Rochelle, this is for the birds, just quit!”  After staying silent for a few moments and really questioning my motives, I said to myself in a very soft but firm voice, “You are doing this because you want to live!  You are doing this because you want to change and this is what it is going to take.  You are doing this because you want your family to be different.  You are doing this because you want your husband and children to know healthy habits all their days.  YOU ARE DOING THIS BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT IT IS GOING TO TAKE!”  And after that moment, I didn’t turn around to see who was behind me, I didn’t try to catch up/over take another runner….I ran MY course!

At mile four, we came to the bridge.  Now this bridge was not like anything I’ve ever seen.  It’s before the Bay Bridge in MD, but because I’ve never walked on a bridge like this, I didn’t know what it was going to take to run up it.  But one of the volunteers said something.  She said, “Don’t let the bridge control you, you control it” and with that I headed up.  I was really tired by this point and I was really questioning how I was going to finish; but, there were a boat load of supporters and smiling faces that made it bearable.  Actually I felt revived and at the turn around point ran up the bridge and back down to the five mile marker.

Post Race - "That's right, I FINISHED"

The supporters on the side of the road really intensified as we got closer to the end, but my energy level was on the decline.  I was ready for this to be done!  As I came up the final hill and see the finish line in sight, I hear my friend yelling “Pick up the pace Rochelle…You can do this Rochelle…Finish strong Rochelle”  I see her and hear her and feel strength that I didn’t think I had and my walk turned to a slight jog.  As I jog and realize that I’m the only one coming to the finish at this moment, the claps and smiles and thumbs up get loader and they’re all for me.  The DJ announces my name and the supporters go into a uproar and my jog turns into a full run (or a run that I could muster up)… I can do this, I can finish strong, I’m making it” is what I was saying.  And guess what, I finished. 

Yesterday was the Race for the Cure 5k in Washington, DC and today was the Zooma 10k in Annapolis, MD.  My final time was 1hr, 48min with a 17.29 pace (not sure of my splits just yet, but that’s ok) and I am super proud of myself.  Oh, take a look at this link, there are race photo's of me and an actual video of me crossing the finish line  http://www.zoomarun.com/annapolis/annapolis-results/  (you may have to type in my name)