From Start to Finish

One of the 2011 goals in the Maholland home is to get healthy. From before the new year, we have began to really take care of our bodies. We have made sure that we are very aware of what we put in and what we do to our bodies. No more couch potatoes! If you know me well you know that I do not run. It always scared me and I never really knew how to do it correctly. As a part of my personal get fit goal I decided to train for a marathon. I've pushed myself, ran in the ice, and surprisingly enjoyed every minute! I was shocked the first week I trained and loved it. I eventually pushed myself to 3 miles which is huge for me. Immediately our friend, Lindsey and I decided to sign up for the Zoo Run Run 5 K.

Last weekend we bundled up and went to the zoo for my very first marathon. I was a nervous wreck! I was so afraid that I couldn't do it, or fall over, or throw up, or...I mean, you never know! Once we arrived we received our numbers and prizes and spent a good 2 hours enjoying time together before the race. It was a packed house at the zoo all filled with runners! I was warned, but never believed that some racers were..serious. Very serious. I couldn't bring myself to taking pictures of them, but let's just say spandex and lots of skin! Woo! I don't know how some of them faced the cold with that! Along side the 15% serious runners were people dressed in animal costume attire. Since the race is for the zoo, they encourage animal attire.We conservatively wore cheetah print ear warmers and zebra printed our nails.Next year we decided we would go all out! Finally, two hours of people watching and stretching had passed and we got all lined up to begin.John waved us off, the music started, and the starter gun "powed" We were off! And the next three miles were the best ever! I had no idea I would enjoy it that much. We ran through the zoo and around the back side of the zoo. Along every twist and turn the zoo had cool printed signs of facts about where we were running. And of course the animals were there! It was entertaining. We didn't get pictures of the signs because John had the camera while we were running. There really isn't any description of how it felt when we were running. It was the biggest rush and I swear the smile never left my face. The moment we crossed the finish line was absolutely incredible! I did it! I had achieved my goal! The fact that I did it with a friend was even better. We kept each other laughing and pushed each other the entire way. It was so encouraging! Afterwards, we crashed and enjoyed a dinner provided at the zoo. It was delicious. Since then, we have planned to all run several more races for other causes. I am pushing myself daily to run and workout. We have finally decided to join out local gym. This way I don't have to run on the icy roads! Especially on a day like today! With that said...Happy Snow Day!