13.1 Reasons to Cheer
1. Today I participated in the inaugural ING Georgia Marathon and Half Marathon in Atlanta, Georgia.
2. All 15,000 spots were filled several weeks prior to the event, and representatives from all 50 states plus 25 countries ran, walked, or wheeled the 26.2 mile marathon or 13.1 mile half marathon.
3. There were several racers whose stories inspired everyone, including Scott Rigsby, the first double amputee in history to complete a full marathon.
4. I watched in awe and wonder as the marathon leaders whizzed by me as graceful as gazelles but at a blistering pace of 5:19 per mile. At the time, they were approaching mile 19 as I was approaching mile 5.
5. The half marathon course wound through the awesome intown Atlanta neighborhoods of Sweet Auburn, Inman Park, Little Five Points, Virginia Highlands, and Midtown.
6. Almost every step of the course provided a spectacular view or point of interest, such as the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center, Piedmont Park, the Carter Center, Underground Atlanta, and my personal favorite - a gorgeous sunrise over the downtown skyline.
7. Hundreds of people lined the streets to cheer for the racers, including members of the Ebenezer Baptist Church Choir, whose voices filled the early morning air.
8. For the past three months, I served on a committe that organized a team called 65 Roses, to help raise awareness of cystic fibrosis.
9. The committe's efforts proved to be worthwhile as over 100 team members joined together for this special cause.
10. My best friend, Jeff, was on our team and blazed through the half marathon course in just over two hours - almost 30 minutes ahead of his goal.
11. My husband, Eric, and Jeff's fiancee, Anna, were in our neighborhood to cheer us on at mile 9. Then they made their way to the finish line to meet up with Jeff and encourage me to finish strong. I don't know what I would have done without them!
12. In my first ever half marathon, I clocked a time of 3:54:40 -- 1:05:20 UNDER my goal!
AND REASON #13.1 TO CHEER -- I FINISHED!!! :o)
posted by Amy R Shipp @ 8:34 PM
4 Comments:
That is soooooo awesome! Congrats to you and Jeff. You have motivated me for the day!!! Hugs and kisses to all.
I took my cell phone to church for periodic updates and my entire Sunday School class was cheering you on ! We have always been proud of all your accomplishments - now you have just added one more to the long list of things you have set your head to do and finished in grand style ! Congratulations to you and Jeff !
Amy I am so proud of you! I could not have accomplished such a goal without you. I definitely would not have taken the sardine marta train alone at oh, an hour and a half before sunrise.
The marathon was such a positive experience. It was a day that I will never forget and one that I will always look back on with pride and lots of laughter.
Thanks again to you and Eric for having Anna and myself as your guests for the weekend. You always make us feel so comfortable and welcome in your home. We had such an amazing weekend, and we just talked and laughed about it all the way home!
Thank you again for encouraging me, and convincing me that we could accomplish such a goal. "It did seem like a good idea 18 weeks ago!" Of course, that was after a few drinks!
Hope you have a great week! Take care of those feet!!! Love you!
Congrats Oat!! I'm so proud of you and Jeff. You always amaze me with what you will do next....and I love to keep watching!
It's me, your sip. It wouldn't let me log in as myself. LOL
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