I did it! I did it! I did it!!

And you can safely say that I will race again. I understand the hype and addiction to running and racing even more now. So. Much. Fun!!!

First, let’s back up though. Friday night I made sure to do as much prep work as possible. I packed up stuff for the kiddos to spend the morning with their grandma. I laid out all the things I needed. I pulled out the trusty boob pump. What? You don’t have to do a pumping session as part of your race morning prep? Lucky.

Then, I hit the hay by 9 pm to be up and at ‘em by 5 am. I checked the weather, got dressed, and ate my breakfast – whole wheat English muffin with peanut butter and half a chocolate chip cookie dough Larabar.

I can’t remember the last time I ate breakfast at 5:30 am. So early!

We made it to the race venue at around 6:45. The nerves and excitement had started setting in by this point.  Shortly after getting there, I met up with Lee, which helped calm me down a bit..

We walked around, took our bathroom break, and chatted before heading to the start line. Then, suddenly, the time had come and we were off. I made sure to follow all of your advice and keep a steadier pace for my first mile. I finished my first mile at an 8:26 pace and felt great. From there, I decided to pick it up a little bit and hit mile 2 with an 8:10 pace. When I noticed that I was only at 16:36, the thought of finishing under 26:00 as a possibility hit me. I could barely believe it! And I knew I wanted to give my all and see what would happen.

When I had about a 1/2 mile left, I started feeling pretty tired. I could see the final turn up ahead and told myself I could do anything for just a few more minutes. I kept going. I just went for it and ran.

25:12!!!!! I did NOT know I had that in me. Seriously. No clue. It felt so amazing to cross that finish line and see Stacy and Kristy there cheering me on. I could not find Peter, but just knowing he was there meant the world to me too. I turned in  my time slip and then headed to the finish line to cheer Lee on as she came up. Lee accomplished her goal of PR’ing which was awesome to see.

After the race, we chatted a bit more with Stacy & Kristy before they had to head off for the 10K portion. Then, I grabbed some snacks – a mini smoothie cup, some Starbucks coffee, a mini coffee cake and mini brownie.

Hey, I can’t turn down free food. Peter, Lee, & I decided to hang out for the raffles and awards too. Lee won a Brita water bottle prize pack.

We were both really hoping for the random umbrella and Clorox bucket of supplies they were giving away though. 😉 Ha!

Suddenly it was time for the awards for the various age groups. Peter & I almost left before this, but I wanted to stay a bit more to chat with Lee before heading out. I’m glad I did because guess what? I placed third in the women’s 25-29 age group! Ummmm…how?! I was literally in shock.

And excited for the totally unexpected surprise. Talk about a great first race! Even though I know not every race will end like this one (or even close!), I still look forward to many future races. This may have been the first, but certainly won’t be the last.

• What was a “fitness high” you felt recently?
• Check out Lee’s, Kristy’s, and Stacy’s blogs to say hello and hear their recaps! They are awesome blog friends!

I feel like yelling a great bit “Hallelujah” because Friday is FINALLY here!!!! Seriously. Could this week have been any slower? Monday and Tuesday seemed to zoom past, but then I kept thinking it was Friday on both Wednesday and Thursday. I guess I really want the weekend to get here. I have a little something to look forward to after all…

Last night, I decided to go ahead and pick up my race stuff. I was glad to see a Thursday afternoon pick-up option because it meant avoiding Friday afternoon traffic in Atlanta. I can assure you that is never fun to get stuck with. I still had to deal with some traffic though and was happy I had an easy dinner planned for when I got home.

BBQ Tofu Wraps again! We had them just two weeks ago, but I seriously can’t get enough. I never thought the day would come that I would crave tofu. Now? Devoured!

After dinner, I went ahead and organized my playlist for the race. A bit random, but they are all songs that get me going. I picked something motivational to start me out and then things that make me push it to keep me moving at the end.

• Our God – Chris Tomlin
• I Gotta Feeling – Black Eyed Peas
• Raise Your Glass – Pink
• Livin’ On A Prayer – Bon Jovi
• Firework – Katy Perry
• Survivor – Beyonce
• Fighter – Christina Aguilera
• Gives You Hell – Glee Cast version

Now, today I plan on taking it easy so my legs can feel fresh and ready tomorrow morning. WISH ME LUCK!!! And since tomorrow I plan to share my race recap, I will now bring you the FFF Features a day early. Happy Friday!

Featured Workout: Cathe CoreMax DVD

I plan on resting my legs today, but I figured it would be a good time to break out an old favorite abs workout. I rarely do abs exercises besides planks a couple times each week because abs get worked during so many other activities. It’s still fun to do a session of core work at times though, and Cathe always delivers.

Featured Meal: Yogurt Bowls

Still OB-SESSED!

Featured Cuteness: Getting So Big!

He’s growing, growing, growing! Part of me is excited that he’ll sit up on his own, crawl, and more before I know it. Then, the other half wants to put it all to a screeching halt.

Featured Quote:

When the world says, "Give up," Hope whispers, "Try it one more time."
~Author Unknown

Featured Reading: Beth @ Beth’s Journey – Breaking The Cycle

If you enjoyed my post yesterday about food balance, then you will love Beth’s very real and open sharing of her own experience. She is an inspiring lady!

Brittany @ A Healthy Slice of Life – Healthy vs Low Calorie

The debate on whether low calorie makes something healthy. Brittany lays it out so well.

• What song would you HAVE to have on your workout/race playlist?