Bridge Run 2012

Charleston's Cooper River Bridge Run | 2012

(photo found here)

you kicked my tail. 

seriously.

stats.

charleston, sc 

(I seriously love you charleston... seriously.)

38,000 people

corralled like cattle

1 hour delay

 1 second: the amount of time lapsed after having crossed the starting line before I had to go to the bathroom

bowling balls: what I felt like were attached to my feet after having stood in the same spot for over an hour

4: the incline grade of the bridge

1,265: the number of times I wanted to quit

 1,265: the number of times I told myself not to quit while climbing the bridge

. . . 

The bridge closes at 7am so all runners coming from Charleston (everyone!) must be over the bridge before that deadline. This means you wake up early. 4:30am early. We were pumped though and having a blast. We had our water, coffee, peanut butter toast and our bananas. We had our amazing outfits (insert: 80's exercise attire!!! We were so cute! :)) We were ready to go. We were still ready to go at 8:30 when the announcer kept saying '2 more minutes!'... but somewhere between then and a little after 9am when we finally started the race, my poor body was done. I was exhausted, hungry and pregnancy induced swelling in my legs and feet literally made the first 2 miles absolutely miserable. I felt as thought I were hauling a couple of bowling balls, not to mention the one in my belly. I had to stop within the first couple minutes because I had needed to use the restroom for about 30 minutes, but with the promise of 'only 2 more minutes' coming every couple of minutes none of use wanted to risk leaving to actually go to the restroom. 

I am a self-confessed perfect conditions runner. Meaning, all conditions must be perfect in order for me to run. And every condition was less than perfect. Even my beloved iphone died before I got to mile 2 because I had forgotten to charge it the night before. So, no music or distractions from the pain for this girl. 

However, no matter how difficult those first 2 miles were, around mile 3 my blood started flowing. The adrenaline kicked in and I finally found a rhythm, making the rest of the race fun and so worth all the pain. Crossing the finish the line after such a rough start was joyous to say the least. 

Last year my finish time goal was around an hour and being pregnant this year my goal was to just finish. I finished in 1 hour 11 min (much to my surprise when I looked it up today), that works out to be 11:45 miles which I will take at 32 weeks pregnant! (Especially considering how slow I went up that bridge... that mile alone was probably 16 minutes... ha.)

P.S. I loved running with baby girl inside me. The thought of her inspired me to keep going. I will tell her one day of how I ran a 10k at 32 weeks pregnant and that she was the one who got me to the end. I hope it is the first of many adventures we will have together. It was, after all, her first girls' weekend! And a great one at that.

What do you think of our outfits?! Adorable, right?! I've decided I'm bringing leg warmers back... because they are amazing (a little hot on a 6 mile run, but amazing nonetheless. :))

Ladies, thank you for an amazing couple of days! I had a blast (and I think Adelee did too!)