Wow, What A Weekend!

My daughter has been in gymnastics for the past 12 weeks.  She absolutely loves it!

This past Friday was her first gymnastic showcase, which is a show for the parents. She was excited all day and as soon as she woke up, she asked if it was time to go yet.  The show wasn't until 6:30 p.m. and she pestered me all day with the same question.  I didn't mind, I was just so thrilled that she was excited about it.

I didn't know what to expect, so we got there early and the place was buzzing with excitement.  She started jumping up and down and going crazy.  We found her teacher and then I found a seat.  I anxiously waited with my camcorder and camera. Mr. Running While Mommy was having a "boys night" with my son, but I so wished he was there.

The routine that she and her classmates did was adorable.  She smiled the whole time and you could really tell she loved what she was doing.  This meant so much to me, as I am all about finding what you love and doing it.  I know she is only 3 and this may not be her "thing" when she gets older, but you never know.  And as long as she is happy now, then I am happy.

I went to bed happy and calm, but woke up before the alarm, nervous.  It's race day!

I got dressed and had breakfast, but my stomach was still nervous.  I drank some water but didn't want to overdo it and have to use the bathroom during the race.

I arrived early and got my number, 35.  This is a small local race put on by the NRPA and there was no pickup the day before. 

I was meeting my friend JD there, but while I was waiting I saw a mom from my daughter's preschool.  We don't really know each other, but I just started talking to her and it was so nice getting to know her.  This was her first race in a very long time.  It was nice that she hung with me and JD and I am happy to say I found a new running friend.

We were shuttled over to the start and at 10 a.m. we were off.  Immediately, I was thirsty.  Check this off as lessoned learned.  I was thankful that there was a 10k too, so there were two water stops.  After the first one, I felt better and found my groove.

The course was mostly flat, along a pretty stretch of road that ended at the beach. Perfect!  Once I was into my last mile, I was really feeling good but it was really getting warm.  There was the second water stop and then bam, I picked it up a little and I saw the finish.

At this point, I took my earbuds out because I love hearing the cheers of the spectators, even if they are not for me.  I saw JD and she was cheering me on. Thanks JD!

Right before I crossed the finish line, I saw the clock.  I was not going to make it under 35 minutes, but I was getting a PR.  My final time 35:04, which is 31 seconds faster than my best time.  Woohoo! 

Afterwards, we snapped a few pictures, had a snack and then off to Little Man's T-ball game.  When we got home and I was relaxing and checking my e-mail, I read the latest Another Mother Runner blog and I was so psyched to see that I had won their latest contest!  I will soon be the proud owner of a Run Like a Mother tank and a BAMR Sweaty Band.  My day was complete.

This brings me to Sunday.  I was up at 6 a.m. and heading to Providence by 6:30 a.m. for the first training run with Team in Training.  I don't usually do early but I had a good nights sleep and was a little excited to meet everyone. 

I was there early but didn't have to wait long for everyone to start showing up. There were 12 of us and our two coaches.  Having a coach is one of the things I love about TNT.  It is almost a year that I have been running, but there is so much to learn.  

Coach Jim has been with TNT for 20 years and has been the running coach at a Providence high school even longer.  He is a wealth of information and I plan to use him as my running encyclopedia.  

Most of us are running the Nike Women's Marathon, so it was really nice to meet people that I will be traveling with.  We seemed to all be at different levels and speeds.  

The first day of the plan called for two miles and I was good with that after racing yesterday.  Four of us did two miles and I didn't use any music.  It was wonderful talking and getting to know my teammates.  The rest of the group did four and six miles.  We met back at the start and chatted for a few minutes and I was invited to have breakfast with a few of them.

Breakfast was delicious and the conversation was fun.   The next 5 months are sure to be very special and I know, without a doubt, that I was meant to be here running with these people and raising money for this cause.  

Yes, it was a wonderful weekend.  I have a little gymnastic star, a PR, a great running group and I won an awesome contest!  I am excited and thankful to be where I am and I thank you for reading.