Run to the Plunge 5K...and some new jeans!
Guess who got her first pair of size 6 jeans in...well let's just say FOREVER! It was a good good day. So much to tell you about.
We got down to the beach late last night. And I have to say that my good knee totally seized up on the drive. It made me very nervous about the 5k today. I wasn't sure how much I would be running anyway, but this pretty much ensured that it wouldn't be that much.
This morning we wanted to head over to the boardwalk early. We wanted to sign in for the plunge today because tomorrow is going to be crazy (over 3000 people are signed up for it). The 5K was starting at 1pm so we got there around 11:30. We rushed to go sign in and a pleasant surprise was waiting for me. I raised enough money to qualify for a beach towel. It's nice too :-) Really nice. I will be very happy tomorrow :-) We got our sweatshirts and headed over to the souvenir room to see what else there was. I really liked a pair of sweatpants. And frankly, I realized on my way down last night that I didn't pack anything to wear over my bathing suit for before the plunge...only my change of clothes for after. So the plan was to go to Old Navy and get a pair of pajama bottoms (Silly me I forgot my Polar Bear Fleece pj bottoms...DOH). The sweatpants were cute (with pockets!) and reasonably priced. So I held up a pair of mediums. They looked okay, but something told me to check out a pair of small. They looked good for me. *cut to us getting home later tonight* THEY FIT! I heart them!
The weather today was 50 degrees. Funny how 50 in the summer is freezing, but 50 in the winter is balmy. It was cloudy and windy so it was a bit on the chilly side. So naturally we had to purchase something for our heads. I bought my friend, Bibble, a polar bear skull cap and myself the polar bear headband that covers your ears. We look so cute (see the picture above).
Next we walked over to sign in for the 5k. We had some time to kill so we walked back to the car and dropped off our bags, pinned on our bibs, and headed back to the boardwalk. When we got back we found the ice sculptures...very cool...but 50 degrees means they were dripping...oops.
The boardwalk quickly filled up and soon it was time to start the race. This was one of the best experiences of my life. The Polar plunge weekend benefits the Delaware Special Olympics. Such a great cause. There is so much support for it. This is a fun 5K. Sure there were a bunch of runners. But, there were SO many people just walking and talking. We ended up walking with a bunch of Special Olympics participants and just talking with them. It was so heartwarming. There was no need to run, we were just enjoying ourselves. It makes me very thankful for everything my body is capable of. I'm so glad that I have finally starting treating it with the respect it deserves.
So here's my big shout out to Bibble. She and I have known each other for a long time...we went to college together. It was her idea to do this weekend. I told her I would do the plunge with her if she did the 5K with me. She had not been preparing for this and was struggling with some pains through the 5K. Her daughter, JoJo (age 11), was with us too. She wanted to run. I told Bibble we would stay with her and maybe run the last mile. JoJo made no such promise. After mile 1 she took off. LOL. Bibble finished the race with me. We even ran to the finish. My favorite quote was "If you hadn't stayed with me, I don't know that I would have finished the race." That's what this is all about. I don't care what my time is. I just want people to know what they are capable of. :-)
After the race we went to the refreshments tent and scarfed down some vodka penne pasta and a bunch of water. The pasta was only in a small bowl, but it was heavenly. We needed to grab lunch and well...we are at the beach. If you are familiar with the Delaware beaches you know all about Grotto Pizza...it is the greasiest best pizza....that's where we went to celebrate. It goes against everything I believe in, but it is a Special weekend.
I was on a mission after lunch...I was having such a great day that I was ready to try it. We went to Old Navy for the pj bottoms (on clearance...woo woo)...and some size 6 jeans. We all went into the fitting room. When they buttoned I started crying. They were happy tears, but OMG it was awesome. Bibble gave me a big hug and women in the other stalls were congratulating me. From a size 18 to a 6...all on my own. Sure they are a muffin top right now, but they buttoned and that's half the battle. They will be fine next month.
This means I can cut my hair now....but crazily enough, I'm going to keep it longer for now. haha...funny how that works out.
I am enjoying this weekend so much that I will definitely be back next year...Come on and join me! It makes me very excited to sign up for the Susan G Komen 3 Day for the Cure in October. I will be registering shortly and starting to train for that (60 miles in 3 days). That will be another incredible journey meeting lots of people. Again, it's not about the time...but the journey.
I hope you are having a wonderful day...See you tomorrow after the Plunge :-)
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