I survived my First marathon and many to come! (Long post)

Yes, I made it thru the 3k walk (Heart Lite walk) in 45 minutes after walking to just get to the START Line. Dang! I did not know there was so many people that would gather in one place here in Alaska.. It was way Cool to see all kinds of people. From your Runners to the slow pokes like me... LOL! I heard there was 6700 people there. My sister went with me and then we met up with a group of my WLS surgeon patients and Yes Dr. Todd was there to cheering us all on keeping all in sync that was after going thru the starting line chute... Oh God I thought I was goin to be trambled.... Darn kids would be get in patient and start shoving. Then it got spread out when we got out on the street... But dang I was wore out by the time we got to the start. We parked over at the hospitals garage and then my sister had to use the restroom and so we went in there and Dam every restroom was full being used... So we went up to the second floor and she found one. Then we came back down to the lobby to but our bib # on and my sis was pinning mine on my back and this lady comes up and says, "No the bibs got to be on the FRONT!" Well that took out another 10 minutes to repin on one another.. Then we had to walk over to the University of Alaska Fine Arts Building which was like 4 blocks away and meet up with my surgeons group and stand there for a half hour... Then we waundered down thru the crowd to the back of the pack.. In the mean time the runners and sprinters took off... and us walkers and slow pokes lined up and Waited and Waited... it seemed Forever.. Then my surgeon shows up with a couple of his kids. He was pushing one of them in a strower. As we got on our way about half way just in about at the bottom of this hill my right knee kinda funked out on me and I said to my sis. I think we better not do the full 5k this year... I did not want to push myself up that hill... and there was couple of others that said the same thing. So when we got to the turn around point we kinda sprint walked back and by the time I got back to the Finish line chute I was hobbleing.... But it was so Neat to have these people on the side of the streets cheering us on ! Its was over welming just about. It REALY made me FEEL Good! and it made me and my sisters relationship a bit better too! We have always been at a distance with each other. It was really good for her to be there with me. Except she frozed the death! Darn wind was cold. But as soon as we got out in the open out away from the shaded streets the sun warmed it up a bit... Heck my sis is just a string bean anyways... But I Love her! Yes I think its in my Blood now and I am looking at doing more marathons . There is a couple this summer I am looking at doing. Infact there is one comming up on May 6th called the Walk and Roll ! and there is a couple of us from my surgeons group that are going to be signing up. I guess the proceeds go towards cancer research. I feel a bit sore in my knees this morning but not that bad... I just went out and got my Sunday paper and feel a bit tender but not nothing I can live with... They it just gets easier every one you do. So I am hooked. I got a new hobbie! Yah for me... Oh and Thank God for New Balance shoes they RAWK! I am going to get another pair and the ones I wore yesterday will be my everyday shoe for now and I am goin this next week to pick up a new pair. I need a new pair for the gym now. Oh I got a nice T-shirt out of the Deal too from my WLS surgeon and he had out his digital camera taking pictures of us all. I had my camera too and took a couple of me and sis and have them on MySpace page. Here is the link to it. Pictures are in the photo section.: http://www.myspace.com/bigtak Well I am going to just chill around the pad today and get up and go to the gym later. Take care all! Tom

Tom, what an inspiration you are!!!Can you believe you would be doing a post about a walk a thon that you completed, just a year ago???? Life is good when you make the most of it. Imagine what you will be doing in one year from today. hugs from down under Helen

Thanks Helen, Yah... I am planning on running that one next year the whole 5k. Then I want to be a traveling marathon runner... Maybe someday I will make it over there.. I have always wanted to go Down Under and New Zealand is my dream. Thanks again! Tom

Congrats Tom...what a cool accomplishment. Keep up the good work!