Last fall was an interesting time for me. I had a master’s degree in Literacy and a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Social Studies and still couldn’t find a permanent job. I’m a pretty ambitious person and decided that the best way to get a teaching job would be to go back for a second master’s degree. So, I found myself driving 1.5 hours each way to SUNY Potsdam four nights a week. In the meantime I landed the PERFECT job teaching 8th grade Social Studies at my Alma Mater, but couldn’t stop taking classes in the middle of the semester. Needless to say, I was a little (okay, a lot) stressed out with no time on my hands. Instead of making healthy, homemade dinners, I turned to Mc.Donalds for a quick fix. The little fixes added up quickly and my pants no longer fit.
In January, a group of friends decided that they were going to start running, with the intention of running the Utica Boilermaker 15k in July. I watched with awe as they racked up the miles, secretly wishing that I had the ability to join them. On a whim, I decided to sign up for the Watertown Shamrock Run 5 Miler in March. I didn’t die, so I set my sights towards the Boilermaker. Um, it’s 9.3 miles! Gah! I used the Couch to 5k running program and gradually built up my endurance.
Today was race day. I was amazed! My goal was to finish in under 2 hours. I came in at 1 hour 44 minutes and 40 seconds according to my Garmin. This race was nothing short of an experience. The crowd lined almost the entire course, handing out encouragement, water, ice, popsicles, and a cool off hose down. It ended at the Saranac Brewing Company where the drinks ran free. What more could a girl ask for?
And, since it wouldn’t be a photoblog post without a photo…here we are in all our post race glory.
