PIGTAIL!!!

I've never been one before! I feel so... honored.

"I'd like to thank the academy, my publicist, my personal trainer, and all the little people who made this possible." "You passed me! You really, really passed me!"

Trek420 and I did the whole pre-race expo thing yesterday and only spent $5 for stickers from One More Mile and $5 for memorial flags to put in the star for my dad who died of colon cancer. The Mercer Island Half-Marathon is a big colon cancer event. There is no topic too delicate for this expo!

This morning we got up at 5:00 a.m. to prep for the race by hitting the snooze alarm a few times. Great warm up activity, I highly recommend practicing it several times before the big day.

I ate my customary HUGE breakfast and she ate her dainty bowl of oatmeal. Piled our stuff into the car and roared off to the island shrieking "do you have the map?" "no, I thought you had the map!" "which exit do we take?" "I don't know! Watch out for that car!" Arrived in plenty of time, got coffee, etc.

Race started for the walkers at 7:30. We were passed by the kids. Passed by the old ladies, passed by the two women hula-hooping the whole course. Yes! Finally we obtained the coveted spot of Pigtail, and we defied all challengers! We held that spot for mile after mile! It looked close when the wounded runners started trying to usurp us, but we held strong!

By the time we got near the finish line the course had closed, the course marshals and signs had all disappeared in a puff of smoke, and we were left asking bystanders and innocent folks just trying to walk their dogs for directions. As I got near the finish line the large inflatable FINISH arch was collapsing and being packed into big boxes, the music system was packing up, the post-race food was gone and packed up, and there was no-one to take our timing chips but a nice fellow who was helping direct traffic out of a parking lot.

Poor Trek has a massive ugly blister on one foot. I mean, it's waaaaay gross. The size of a half dollar. She's hurting. Actually, she's asleep on the couch moaning, so I assume she's still hurting.

I'm peachy. Ready to do another one in a couple months. Let's go!