5K

I ran my 3rd ever race today since high school. I ran a 5K during college and then one after college...the world famous Saline Watermelon Festival 5K :). But although I've had plans and tried to schedule 5Ks since then, it has just never worked out. Well, today it did.

It was a really pretty day with perfect weather. And the race was very near our house. There were a couple of friends that ran with me. Shannon (in the blue), my neighbor and instant friend since she moved here last August. She's an MK (missionary kid) from here in Brazil (they lived in a tribe in the Amazon...she moved here when she was 7). She and her husband are with Wycliffe...her husband is a pilot. They have 4 kids, a boy and 3 girls. ;) Mariane (in the yellow) and her husband Guilherme have been church friends since we got here. The first time I met her she was very pregnant and had just worked out...she came to our house without even changing clothes or showering and I instantly liked her (hahaha...that's basically unheard of here in Brazil). She's beautiful and always very well put together, but is also athletic...a great combo. They now have two beautiful boys.

Our city has free 5K races once a month and she's run several in the past year or so...so she was my informant. We tried to all run one back in December, but an Asas meeting conflicted with the schedule. The next few months there was always something...visitors, travel, etc. But, finally today was our day.

Here are some pictures. It was a fun time.

There it is...the sign-up area and the start line. I didn't notice at the time, but that's Guilherme and Mariane arriving themselves, there in the yellow and red.
Everyone warming up as we got there.


I had to go early, so I was excited to see Joel and the kids get there and be able to talk to them before it started.
#822...remember that number. :)

On your marks, get set, GO!! O.K., that's not what they said today, but it was something similar. :)
Note the barefoot runners. Go Brazil with your barefoot running! I would love to use my Vibram FF for the next race...we'll see if I can work myself up to that.
See the guy on the very far left? #833 with the blue shoes? He's the one that won...by a longshot. Joel said that he was all alone on the straight stretch leading to the finish line. He ran it in a ridiculous 16ish minutes. Dang.


There are me and Mariane in the green and yellow.
There's Shannon in the blue right behind us. And her husband, Craig, also ran.



And there we go.
These next 2 pictures were actually taken yesterday from the course. I was curious and decided to walk to the neighborhood next to ours where the course was going to be and walk the course, then walk back home. I literally walked for an hour and a half straight, which proved to not be very smart actually. About at the 3km mark today, my legs were shot. But, it was a very nice and peaceful walk yesterday. :) Thankfully we didn't have to run up this very long and steep hill. It was a great scene though...and some little boys were playing soccer in the street at the very bottom.

And people are starting to make their way back to the finish line.
And my sweeties (remember how my girls call someone's children their 'sweeties'?...I love that) waiting for me...
...at the finish line.
And they spot me in my green shirt.
Getting closer. Grady going to get in his position...he handed me my water as I crossed the line.
My honeys were waiting to high-five me at the finish line. :) Love. So sweet. They were so excited that I was in a race. They went with me to sign up this past week and they asked everyday, "Is your race today?" When I was leaving to go this morning, Grady told me to run like a shooting star and Eissa told me to run like a fast tiger. :) Eissa kept saying, "I hope you win." I assured her that I wasn't going to win...haha...but, she was so cute and encouraging.
So glad to be at the finish line. :)
Tired and being herded down a little corridor to get my number taken down for the records.
Some race talk. :)
I just love my little cheerleaders!
We did it, girls! Mariane, actually, did it with a 29 minute time. Nice. My time was 33 minutes, which I was very satisfied with (and I had even walked the last half of the last couple of hills). :) Shannon came in right behind me (her hubby also, who stayed with her the whole time).
We came home, played a couple games of Memory, I took a shower and took a little nap, and then we had a little party for lunch...complete with pepperoni pizza and a coke. Just for today. :) A great Sunday morning.