WOW!!! What a fantastic 10K! I am really pleased with me and Liz. Liz did better than she expected. She was hoping for 55 minutes and did 54:49. I was going to be happy with 1 hour 30 and excited if I could do 1 hour 15 but I did even better!! ! hour 6 minutes!!! WOW! It's amazing what you can do!

Liz and I arrived in London about 9 or so and checked in our bags then had to wait about 25 minutes to use the portopottys. We finally headed to the start line which ended up being about 2k away. Oh well, this counted as our warm up. It was kind of cool though because as we walked along we were walking against the race route. At 9:35 the race started and the people at the front ran right past us. Boy those people at the front are so fit!!! It was very cool to see them and watch them run. When we got up to the start area, we had to be herded like cattle to the start line. It took about 10 minutes to get there. We walked around this bit and then you just took off running! As we crossed over the start line, Liz hit her stopwatch (that's why she has an exact time) and I checked my watch. We ran about 200 meters together then I told her to go ahead and she took off running. I never saw her again until the end! Liz was able to run the entire thing without walking at all. POWER WOMAN!!

I started running and tried to soak it all in, there was music playing and people on the sides of the streets cheering. I went around the first corner and was so pleased to see a downhill! What a fantastic start to the race!!! At the bottom of the hill was a 1k marker. I checked my watch and it had only been 5 minutes. Pretty good start even if half of it was a downhill! As I kept running, I kept a lookout for the all important markers. The next one I saw was 3k. I slowed down for a bit of a walk and took the time to look around me. We were now along the Thames and there were trees so it was nice and shady with a beautiful breeze. I picked it up and started running again with a concentration of looking for the 5k marker. After a bit I go worn out and kept telling myself that I just wanted to make it to the 5k! Halfway, that would be great. It seemed like the sign would never come. And it didn't, I gave up and walked for a minute, beating myself up for not making it to the 5k marker. What a loser I was!!! But then shining up ahead like a sign from God was the 6k marker!!! No need to beat myself up! I ran to 6k!!! What a big burst of energy that gave me!! So I picked up and started running again. Up ahead was the Westminster Bridge. I walked a bit again and then made it a goal to run the whole bridge, I ran to the end and turned around and ran back across it without walking. The route then took us a bit past Parliment which was a bit of a tease because as we went around to go back by the Thames, I was able to catch glimpse of the finish line. That is a good thing and a bad thing. At this point I had about 2k left. I ran down the Thames and and back around. Then I started to see the best sight of all!! The finish!! The route takes you down the street then you turn around at the end and run down the other side to the finish so youe nd up running past it and back to it. There was a sign that said 800 meters left. I slowed down because I wanted to be able to run the last bit. I passed the 600 meter sign and broke out running! Then the 400 meter sign!! Then the 200 meter sign!! Then I saw Karen (a friend from work who came down to cheer us on!) I yelled at her and she pulled out her camera. I didn't really want to stop so I turned around and ran backwards and she was able to get me. If you look at the picture you can see the 2 white banners behind me, they are the finish line!




I crossed the finish line and checked my watch. I absolutely couldn't believe my time!!! I couldn't stop smiling!!! It was one of the greatest feelings of accomplishment I have ever had.

I then went to pick up my stuff and my medal and meet with Liz. There were people all over handing out flyers for a 10k in 2 weeks. No Way!!!! I don't see myself doing this again.... well at least not in 2 weeks!

Liz and I then went to Karen's as she had prepared some fruits and drinks for us. It was really nice and refreshing. She got a picture of us after we had relaxed a bit.




Karen was also able to get a pic of Liz right before htting the finish line.



We then went home and I relaxed a bit then headed over to Liz's for a Post 10k Pimm's Party . It was a great ending to a fantastic day.

And oh my the weather!!!! Just look at all the pictures!!!