Today I did something. I completed the Rodeo Run 10K. It was a pretty terrible showing, but I did it.

This morning I was an anxious mess, it seemed like a pretty big mistake to sign up for this run. Although I had planned on doing a lot of training, it didn’t really happen. My longest consistent run before today was a little over 3 miles. Leah told me, that someone in a bar told her, that you get caught up win the excitement and you can do more than you think.

We did get caught up in the excitement, but we did a pretty steady combination of walk/run/ and then some walk even more. We finished, albeit we were no where near running the entire 10K. When we first got there, we came upon the costume contest. Obviously, we had to stop and watch the whole thing go down. There were an entire crew of people from an insurance office (that I didn’t catch the name of) that dressed as Alice and Wonderland folk. The Mad Hatter there, in the back left hand side of this picture won.

After taking in the contest, we made our way to the starting line. There were 13,000 participants, and below you can see the ones that were ahead of me. There were a lot. The people in the front were clearly in shape. We were asked to try to find our way nearest to the sign that most accurately described our mile time. Leah and I took our place past the 10:00 minute mile sign.

The start was scary, most people seemed like regulars, and I felt pretty confused. While we waited, Leah and I made a list on my phone of running gear that we would need when we become regulars.

My favorite part of the whole thing was all the people at the sides of the course. They had noisemakers and signs and screamed, “You can do it!” The thing is, they have no idea if I can do it or not, but it felt really good to hear. Strangers screaming for me was oddly motivating. Those people motivated me to finish. Leah’s boyfriend was also our ride, and he was at the finish (another motivating factor). I really needed motivation. Usually, my runs are on gravel, and I my knees were not into the concrete. I got tired quick, and starting thinking of lunch pretty early in. We did discuss many lunch options while making our way through the course. Lunch, the cheering spectators, the fabulous water tables, and the car at the end are the things that helped me do it.

There I am, in all my sweaty, tired, whiny glory. I did it. I completed a 10K. I may have been passed up by small children, grandparents, and pregnant ladies, but LEAH AND I DID IT!!

Thank you Leah for pushing me.