Pins & Needles: Fancy a run?

Sooooo you may wonder about some of this running I've been doing. I had entered into the Surf T Surf and today was the day. I woke up nervous, tried to get my number straight on my shirt about five times, couldn't get the timing chip to thread through my laces without going through the netting on my runners, arrrgh! We left early to get there in time and walking down the Flagstaff Hill roundabout to Lake Pertobe a sense of foreboding came over me. This was a freaking big hill and was one we would have to run up in the first minutes of the run. I despaired. Sense of bravado in this photo!

Met up with some of our awesome Warrnambool & Surrounds 12wbt crew, everyone was pumped, excited, nerves setting in. All awesome women in their own rights. Mike was chief photographer for us, snapping photos of our group. He just kept taking photos of anyone I was yakking to! Looking pretty fresh here, before the race.

I'm beginning to see a pattern emerging - what's with my hands on hips look?!!

When the 6K runners were called to line up I was nearly jumping out of my skin. A quick hug to my friend Jane who was running with her entire family and we were off. There I am in the throng of runners.

Chugging up that first hill was a real effort. A number of runners had started walking almost straight away, but I kept plugging at it breathing heavily, I continued on at a slow run and got down the main street and my legs were screaming. Walked about 20 paces and set off running again. That was the theme to my run. Ran as much as I could then walked 20-30 paces then set off again. The hills nearly did me in but I knew if I could make it to the tops I was able to run down.

At the stage at about the 3K mark where the route turned and met up with the 10K runners who had done another 4K out to Hopkins River, I was passed by a few of my workmates who were running the 10. Calls of encouragement to me were just what I needed, and at one stage when I started walking up a bit of a hill at Timor Street, I will never forget a big booming voice coming up behind me ordering me ... "COME ON CAROL PICK UP THOSE LEGS, GET YOURSELF RUNNING, SCALE THAT HILL, YOU CAN DO IT!!" It was one of the fellas from my work who is also in the Army, who was barking out orders to me like a drill Sergeant and got me up and over the hill.

It was so encouraging to see people had set up chairs on their nature strips and were calling out and clapping too. If there is a power of people willing each other to keep going this was it.

I rounded the corner back to the dirty angel at a pace and needed to walk a bit back at Canon Hill when I saw my friend Esther snapping photos which got me running again.

Back down that blasted first hill back to Lake Pertobe, oh the joy of running down hill, and then I could hear the loudspeaker and see the flags and all the people cheering as the runners got to the last 100 meters. I ran through that finish line red faced and could feel the tears prick. I had done it. I'd estimate I ran 3/4 of the event and walked only about 1/4; and did the 6K in 45 mins 8 seconds. I was aiming to do it under 60mins so was thrilled with the result. I came 400th in a field of 424 finishers in the 6K run. Something to work on.

I really need to work on my goofy faces - me at the finish line

Legs were wobbly and I could see Mike grinning madly snapping the camera. And soon enough we were celebrating with our fabulous 12wbt girls, hugs and squeals that we all had faced our own particular challenges and demons, all accomplished.

RED FACED AFTER THE RACE!!

with the most supportive group of ladies I could ever hope to meet

so lucky I am a part of Warrnambool & Surrounds !

What a high I was on. Have never felt quite like it. And quite frankly I want more, I feel like this is just the beginning! And the thrill for me to end the day was meeting Australian's greatest Olympic/World marathon champion runners Steve Moneghetti.

And having said of all this and regaled you with the story of the day, the one person I couldn't have done this without his support or belief in me on my weight loss journey and my fitness goals and running dreams, is Mike. My husband has been my own personal cheer squad and has encouraged me every step of the way. Tonight he said "I'm so proud of you, you've come such a long way and turned a real corner today, you can do it, nothing is impossible." Thank you honey. :-)

Oh and the other "celeb" (in the scrapbooking world!!) I got to catch up with was Esther. She looks absolutely gorgeous and I'm red faced, sweaty and puffy. Go figure.