We Did It!!!!

We did it!! Finished the race without stopping - not even at the water station!!!

Well, it was a beautiful morning. It was cool and sunny with little wind. The Reindeer Run 5K took place near Brackenridge Park. First, we watched the little kids run a 1K (0.8 miles, I think). It was really cute. Then it was our turn!!! Here's a pic with Mr. and Mrs. Claus from before the race:

This was our first real race experience and it was really fun. Santa started the race with a hearty "Ho, Ho, Ho." We were lined up towards the front, so people ran by us pretty fast when it started - we ARE called the turtles for a reason.

I think Beev felt the pressure of the stories because she didn't have much to talk about at first. But that was ok because there were lots of interesting people to look at. Many people were dressed up for Christmas. We saw reindeer, candy canes, grinches, elves, etc. And there were dogs too - one dressed like Santa. Really cute.

Turns out the course was pretty flat which was certainly a blessing for me. By about mile 2 the internal dialogue had started "are we there yet? is it almost over? am I going to make it? why can't I see the finish line? my legs might actually fall off. you're too old for this, etc." Beev must have sensed this because with perfect timing Beev started talking about the TV show Survivor. I'm all caught up on the ins and outs of that show. Survivor talk got us pretty much to mile 3. So, only 0.1 mile to go! Beev says "can you pick up the pace to finish?" I said "i don't think so." But we did. So, we finished strong which is a good thing because everyone is standing around watching everyone else finish. We crossed the finish line at 40 mins and 31 secs and gave Santa a High-Five. The 40 mins might seem slow - and it probably is - but I feel really good about it. It's the best we've done so far and you gotta start somewhere!

here's a pic from after the race:

After we left the race site, we cleaned up and then went for breakfast at Mimi's Cafe. Yummy!

What a fun morning! Praise Jesus for good friends and healthy bodies (and getting healthier all the time). We did it!!! The turtles next event is the Cobweb Chaser on January 1, 2009. Hope to beat our 40min. time!

-Perry