My family came for the Gate River Run

Today was the Gate River Run 2007.  9.3 miles.  My family, mom, sister, brother, niece, and my sister's friend Lisa came down.   My brother and I ran it together.  Boy am I sore.   Here's a few pictures from the weekend.  The morning yesterday started off with my jittery nerves.   I got up at 6:00 went by the hotel, picked up my brother, and we took off walking a little over a mile to the starting line.  It was overwhelming 15000 runner with as many spectators as runner, I had to hit the porto potty, from nerves, but the line was 400 people long so I never made it, well actually I did in the bushes right in front of the Jaguars stadium while about 20 people walked by, and I thought I was pee shy.   We ran got in line, got a 10 minute stretch in, and the gun went off.   Right as we passed the starting line, a woman hits my ipod on my arm and it’s on the ground, my stupid ass turns around and leans down to pick it up, and my brother is screaming, your going to be trampled, as my ipod hops from foot to foot, somehow by the mercy of God, it bounced up in my hands, I turned around and my brother is laughing his ass off at me.   I wasn’t even thinking, I really could have been trampled it was crazy.   So we start on our run, ipod is back on arm.   We talk and laugh, and he makes it the first mile, keeping right up with me, I’m going pretty slow.  Right after 1 miles we see my mom, and sister right as we are about to jog onto the Main Street Bridge, the big blue one.  My sister has problems with the camera so about 1000 people pass us in the meantime cause I want at least one shot of me running.   I finally have to go over to her and show her how to turn on the camera.  But the picture still turns out fuzzy, anyway we keep going, and I notice my brother’s shorts are about to fall off and he’s showing crack, and I notice a photographer, and I tell him to get in front and get our picture taken, I think about pulling his shorts down but decide not to embarrass him to death.  We go on, and I tell him I was thinking about pulling them down, and he laughs, about 2 mile marker my bladder hits again, I have to pee in a construction site, and Lance says he’s heading back that 2 is all he can do all red faced, so I tell him I love him and run on.  But he actually has a change of heart and tells himself he can do it.   And takes off running again, little to my knowledge.  I thought he had headed back.   The run continues for me, I get angry at a few mile markers because they had run out of water already, and I really need my water.   Luckily the next mile has it.   I enjoy the scenic side of San Marco and the river, and all the rows of Doctor’s houses on the river.   I enjoy the little ladies sitting in their front yards rooting us on.   I start getting that adrenaline flowing at different times.   When I see a familiar face in the crowd, or some stranger puts their hand out for me to clap.   I get in the zone.   By mile 6, I’m burning up, but luckily my friend Drew and Tom live at mile 6 and they were outside rooting me on, and taking pictures, then I get hit by a waterhose that cools me down, and feels so good.   Miles 7 and 8 just seem to flow by.  Mile 8 is the uphill of the Hart Bridge, I know if I can go over it I will make it, at the top of the bridge I notice someone laying on the side passed out, with blood and 5 medics working on them, then a firetruck and ambulance is on the way.   Wow, I turn to get a view of the city from atop the bridge, I know I’m going to make it, in my head chanting, thank you God, thank you Jesus.   I pick up my pace, really kicking it my last mile, thinking mama, and Sherry, and Lance, and Autumn are at the finish line.   I’m passing everyone.   Then I go through the finish line, and as I pass, I slow, then I walk to the side, and that’s when it got ugly, I hurled.   I really pushed it that last mile.   I was drinking these energy gel’s the whole way and that was all I had on my stomach so it wasn’t too bad.   But my family wasn’t at the finish line.   Lance actually ran the entire race, finishing a few minutes after me.   It was so funny!  I was excited for him, because it really is an accomplishment.   More on the day later, got to go pick them up for church.