New Day, New Dawn...

...new life, for me...

I feel like something has changed. I feel new, somehow. Like a switch was flipped and now, now I get it.

Why this 5k? I mean, it wasn't my first rodeo...I have done many 5ks in my life. But this one changed me. What was different? No ipod. No one at my side to talk to. It was just me and my breath. Just me, pickin' 'em up and puttin' 'em down.

Since January, it was all I could do to maintain a 15:00 min pace on the treadmill. I can look back on my training log (thank you Daily Mile!) and see exactly how many times I was able to maintain that pace...but, then, yesterday...the gun fired...took 34 seconds to cross the start line and...I automatically started going...full speed ahead. I was on my own within a minute of the race.

Conditions were perfect. My shoes, my clothes, my jacket and my hat...perfect for the weather. I'd gotten good sleep and I hadn't been on the treadmill for two days. Those first 5-10 minutes weren't easy...I could feel the pavement through my shins...my legs were all, "hey, what the?" but I just acknowledged the slight discomfort and kept moving.

Before I knew it, I was at the 1 mile marker and heard, "14:38" as I motored past...my heart lept! Awesome...if I could maintain this pace, I should make it in under 50 minutes. But, the next mile was all uphill.

Somehow, I ended up smack in the middle of two groups of runners/walkers. These groups had timers that would tell them to run, then walk, run, then walk...and I kept up with them because during the walking portion, they would slow way down. But it was good for me, I just kept on pace. Just kept thinking, "I gotta maintain this pace up this hill..."

Then I got to the top of the hill and practically had to hold myself back from breaking into a run...so I turned on the speed all the way down and got to mile marker two and heard, "28:20"...Whoo!

And then, I think, I just kept up that fast pace from the downhill and ended up putting in a great last mile (1.2).

Will this describe my weight loss journey?

I mean, getting to the race was a feat in itself...and perhaps that is how I think of the last 6 years...I was just trying to get to the race. I finally got there and started hard but, damned uncomfortable...and then I hit the uphill. I think that's where I am right now...just gotta maintain my pace.