I went home to Maine this weekend for a quick visit before school starts the week after next. Mom and Dad and the rest of the extended family wanted to see me before my birthday on Thursday, too (and who am I to pass up celebrations in my honor?!) I arrived in Portland on Saturday evening, and Barbara Bush was at the airport picking up houseguests. How kind of her to meet me! She even dressed for the occasion, pearls and all!
I woke up Sunday to thunder and lightning and was immediately really aggravated because I've been psyching myself up to do a 14-mile run with hills without the help of my great pace group. For awhile it seemed like I wasn't going to go, but the rain stopped mid-morning and off I went. Mom thought it was hilarious, me with my belt, gels, plastic-wrapped cell phone and ipod, etc. I got going and felt good, only to be hit with a TORRENTIAL downpour 20 minutes into the run. (Remember a few Thursdays ago, when Adam and I nearly swam home after being caught in a monsoon? Yeah, it was like that). Pretty soon I was soaked, and I thought for a second about turning around, but I couldn't get any wetter, so I just kept going. It was quite funny, actually...rain, mist, rain, mist, spray from cars passing me on route 9...all I could do was laugh. Any right-minded person would've stayed home in her pajamas, but NO--all in the name of Team for Kids!
Big thanks to Aunt Ellie and Uncle Stu for finding me a route with LOTS of hills and to Mom and Dad for driving alongside me every few miles and holding gatorade out the car window! I wished my TFK teammates were there to share the experience with me, but oddly enough, I think they were! I finished, felt great, and was smiling at the end of 14 miles. Dad commented later, "You look to be in less pain than I would've thought!" and then later..."You know, if you'd asked me a year ago if I thought you could do this, I'd have said no. But you're doing it! I saw you today!" What a great sense of accomplishment I had, hearing my dad say that :)
Congratulations to the TFKers who ran Rockefeller this weekend! Wish I could've been there, but I don't think I'll forget my 14-miler anytime soon...
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