Just a little walk

May 02, 2009

As I am writing this it is only 9:16am on Saturday, May 2, 2009.  Let me tell you about my day so far.  Woke up at 3am, and cooked me a nice, protein rich breakfast.  Eggbeaters with sauted onions and mushrooms (sauted in Pam) with chicken sausage that has roasted garlic and mozarella cheese scrambled all together then put on a Tostada shell, topped with cheese and mmmm delish.  Took a quick shower, dried my hair.  Got dressed in my walking shorts, tank top and tennis shoes.  Packed me some water and yogurt and left the apartment at 5:30.  Found a great parking spot near Seville Square and sat for about 45 mins waiting for the sun to rise and to get a little closer to starting time.  Starting time for what you ask?  Keep reading.  I got out of my car and grabbed my walkman and my water and just casually walked around Seville and then found the port-o-pottie (thank goodness for the man who invented them!).  Did some stretching exercises and then loaded onto the bus.  A big yellow bus.  It took us over to 12 th ave to the starting line.  The starting line for what you ask?  For the Fiesta 5K run/walk!  Yes, 3 months after having bariatric surgery I signed myself up for a 5K.  (am I crazy?  Don't answer, that is a loaded question). The first one in over 2 years.  Well, some young kids sang the National Anthem, and very nicely I might add, (always get a little teary eyed when I hear that song).  The gun went off at 7:37 and off we went.  Now I signed up as a runner even though I am primarily a walker but if you run at all, you can't sign up as a walker.  So I started out with a light jog.  That didn't last long.  I am 5'3' and weigh 223lbs and my poor knees said NO!  I backed it down to a brisk walk.  The music on my mp3 player was a lot of fast songs so I got into the rhythm of the songs, Garth Brooks singing about Louisianna, and Ain't going down til the sun comes up and fever, and Journey, and even Sir Mix-a-lot rappin Baby Got Back.  We go strait down 12 ave to Cervantes and the Police have traffic stopped and here we go crossing on Red and taking the far left lane going west.  How cool is that!  People are passing me but my goal is just to finish the race.  I don't care about medals or times, I just want to finish.  I was walking a little faster than I normally do on my weekly walks.  Goodness, it isn't even eight oclock yet and it is hot!  I come up to the corner of Cervantes and 9th Ave and what is to my left?  KRISPY KREME!  Oh, the cruel fates are making my walk past KRISPY KREME!  And you could SMELL it.  There is nothing better than a hot Krispy Kreme.  Good thing I didn't have any money on me or I might have been tempted to go thru the drive thru.  As it was I was thinking of selling my body for just one doughnut.  But I resisted temptation.  I kept on walking, keeping my eye up a head but then what did I see........Ugh, a huge hill!  Okay, a huge hill to me.  I didn't think that hill was going to end, not quite Mount Everest but a close second...lol   At the top of the hill we turned left onto Palafox St.  Yippee, down hill...wheee.  I thought I could jog this and get a little ahead on my time  but I thought......all I need is for my feet to get out from under me and me falling and rolling all the way down the hill...(that probably would be funny looking) so I decided to walk it instead.  At this point I was really feeling the heat.  And the runners from the 10K that started at Cordova mall are passing my like I am standing still.  I cheer them on because next year I am doing the 10K.  We finish the race at Seville Square adn my time was 50:55.  Yahoo!  Hurray!  Whoopie!  UGH!  I am hot, tired, but so proud of myself, I finished the 5k, I wasn't the last one and I survived to walk another day.  Next Saturday  is the St Johns Sunset 5k.  And I will do it all over again.  Just a little walk.
***Just got the official results from the race-I came 320 out of 320 runners, (not bad for someone mostly walking)...with a time of 51:13!  Not too far off my watch. ****

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