My journey to healthy living.: 5k

I posted this whole thing on my personal blog...but thought it definitely needed to be here on my healthy living blog as well. So, if you haven't read it already...here it is.

I'm lying here in bed thinking about this day and how lucky I feel to have a body that allows me to push myself and accomplish a goal. Even a moment ago as I was looking at a picture on fb that Darlene had posted of me, her, Sharon, and Bri having just finished the race, I got teary-eyed. Did we just really do that? Yep, we did.

..................................

I woke up at 6am this morning, after having woke up a few times during the night to see what time it was, and how many more hours i had left to sleep. First 2am, then 5:40am.

I showered, dried my hair a little and pulled it back in a pony tail with a pink ribbon. I then put makeup on - because who doesn't want to look good for a race, right?

I put my running clothes on; my compression capri's (love those things), pink shirt and my compression black jacket. Then came my cute gray and pink striped leg warmer socks, followed by my gym sock and running shoes.

I was ready.

I hurry and made myself a blueberry smoothie for energy, greeted Brea Millward and Violeta Jensen into my home for a little bit before we got Ashley Sorensen and Bri and headed to Pleasant Grove for The Pink Series 5k race.

It was a cold morning. Like really cold. I think it was around 36 degrees.

Ryan so lovingly pulled the car out of the garage, and we hopped in and left by 7:30-ish.

As I was driving I asked if someone could say a prayer for us. Brea volunteered Violeta, and she happily obliged. In her prayer she prayed for us to have strength, determination and courage to finish the race. She also prayed for those who were suffering from cancer, and started to get choked up - then I started to get choked up, and then Brea. It was a beautiful prayer.

Upon arriving and parking on Main Street in PG we walked to the area where everyone was waiting for the shuttle to take them up to the starting point at Grove Creek, up against the mountain. We boarded the school bus, which thankfully had it's heater going full blast.

We got to the area, got loaded off the bus and began stretching a bit while some made their way to the port-a-potties for a pit stop.

It was now 8:20. We still had 40 more minutes before the race and it was cold.

We walked to where the sun met the pavement, and where Sharon gave us some good advice and a pep talk.

"With it being downhill you're automatically going to want to stomp on the pavement while you run...don't do that, you'll be hurting in no time."

"Step lightly on the middle of your feet, not your heels, or toes."

"whatever you do...DON'T GIVE UP! YOU CAN DO THIS!!!"

Excellent advice!! Boy are we lucky to have a runner in the family. Thanks Sharon!

8:45 came and Bri and I had to make a last minute pit stop.

Some photographers were there, and noticed our cool socks and my bright pink scarf/boa thing that I wore. I like to be festive, ok? He said he liked the boa, and needed a really animated picture of us. Of course we were all for it.

8:55 came and the people in charge gave us some last minute words via a bull horn.

9:00: RACE TIME

That first mile, even though the first part of it was down hill, was the hardest. My lungs don't like the cold air and they struggled to give me enough breath. I ran as much as I could but then walked on the uphills.

Towards the end of the first mile I spotted Darlene in front of me, called her name, and caught up with her. Mile 1 was now over. "What? we've already finished mile 1?" I said to her as I caught up. I looked at my ipod, 9:16. It took me 16 minutes to finish that first mile. I felt a little hopeless that I wasn't going to beat my goal of coming in under 45 minutes.

Mile 2 started off downhill. "Let's run all the way down this hill until we get to the end where the road turns and then we'll walk a little," Darlene said. So we did.

My laces were now coming un-done on that hill, but I kept going until the end of said hill where I stopped to tie them.

We then walked a little, and ran more, walked a little, and ran even more. The photographer was there so we put our best face on while he snapped a few of us.

I kept running until mile 2 was over, and even past that. I stopped for a few seconds and realized it hurt worse to walk then it did to run. Wow! That has never happened! So, I kept running, albeit slowly.

We turned a corner and saw a stop sign at the end of the road by the high school. "Let's run to the stop sign and then we'll walk a little," I said to Dar.

We walked for a little bit and realized the end was near, so we ran again....all the way to the end.

We saw my brother Quinn up ahead at the street light, waved to him, and he waved back after realizing it was us. He had his iphone out and took pictures and video of us.

We were really close.

We ran faster.

As we got even closer Sharon came back and ran with us the rest of the way...

"Shannon, you're doing it! You're doing it! Keep going! Ryan is waiting for you!"

She grabbed my arm to try and help me keep going. I was so ready to puke by now. I honestly didn't know if I could make it to the finish line, even though it was so close!

"I'm going to puke, I'm going to puke!"

My face couldn't hide the pain I was feeling in my left foot due to the uneven roads and running on an angle for that last 1/2 mile. I was in pain and I felt like I was going to die.

"You're not going to puke, take deep breathes your almost there! Ryan is waiting for you!" Sharon exclaimed.

I saw Ryan out of the corner of my eye standing there taking pictures of me and with family and friends supporting and cheering for me.

I wanted to cry!!

Even my nephew Owen ran a little with me. But I couldn't look at them, I had to keep looking at that finish line and focus all my energy into finishing.

I could feel my throat starting to close up, as it does when I get choked up. But I couldn't cry or else I really wouldn't be able to breathe...and I needed those last few breathes to get me to the finish line.

"Shannon Hadden - here she comes!" I heard the announcer say in the microphone for all to hear.

I was doing it! I was just about to cross that finish line.

42.35 minutes I saw on the clock as I crossed that line into the arms of Sharon, Darlene, Quinn, Ryan, Sean, Brianna and Ashley. Now I really wanted to cry!!

"Good job, you did it! You beat your goal!" I could hear them cheering.

But I wasn't celebrating - yet. At this point I couldn't breathe. I struggled to get my breath and really felt as if I was going to pass out. My throat was closing - it was scaring me and I felt nervous for a moment there which made it even harder for me to breathe.

"Relax and hold your arms up, " Quinn so gently said me. Ryan came over to hold me up while I kept struggling to relax and ultimately to breathe.

After a minute or so I finally was able to relax and breathe again.

Now I could really celebrate!

We took some pictures of all of us (minus Ashley - she had to get to work).

4 minutes after I finish I hear them announce Violeta and Brea's name. WOW! They were worried they weren't going to be able to run it at all...but they did...and they made excellent timing.

We finished. All of us. We finished that 5K race.

I am in awe of these awesome Women. I am in awe of the Women who have or had breast cancer. They're strength to keep going is awe-inspiring. I'm proud to have participated in something that has a great cause behind it. Very proud!

It was so cool to see Women from all walks of life participating, cheering each other on - a lot of them breast cancer survivors.

Now, it's time to rest, put my feet up, ice them, take a hot bath, and relax the day away, and check that 5k off my list of goals for the year.

I did it! Will I do it again? Absolutely!

I calculated my pace, and I averaged a 13 minute mile. Not too shabby. After each mile I looked at my ipod to see the time. The first mile was 16 minutes, 2nd was 14 minutes, and the last 1.2 miles was 12 minutes. I'm pleased with that.

Oh, and a HUGE shout out to Sharon for finishing in 23 minutes, and Bri who finished in 30 minutes, and Ashley who finished in...I think it was 34 minutes? And Darlene was just a few seconds before me. Talk about amazing!

-Enjoy the pictures!

Bri and I on the bus heading to the starting point.

Me and Bri, with Dar and Sharon behind us - and Violeta and Brea behind them...
and Ashley behind Brea and V.

Waiting for the race to begin: Brea, Me, Ashley, and Violeta

A sea of pink waiting for the race to start.

Darlene and I heading towards Quinn. We're almost done!! I'm actually smiling here. I think I was telling the Police Office "thank you" for directing traffic so we could keep running and not stop.