thank you thank you for all your

and prayers and please know that I thought of my WISH buddies often!!!
well, let's just say

and
I got up about 6:30 and turned on the news/checked website just to make sure the event was still on --- I can laugh about that now but lying in bed at 4:30 this morning I thought how on earth with they keep the water stations from blowing away??? so that's why I was on my pc this morning -- I did drink a gatorade first thing, got dressed, talked with DH and just more or less knew in my heart of hearts if I didn't try i would always feel let down with myself, i'm not a quitter you know

let down b/c who knew if I didn't go maybe the wind wasn't so bad there; maybe the storm would blow over. i mean heck, the event was in Downtown columbus about 35 miles away. So i went, got there a bit too early, but got good parking and pinned my BIB on, etc in the car. Even played a few games on my phone. And yes, I'm still drinking gatorade and ate a Balance bar two hours prior to start time. I got out about 1/2 prior to start to find a port-a-potty and ran into the Columbus Dispatch newspaper photogapher that was to meet our Momstyle team for a picture. There was only 5 of 13 that showed up! I'll have to check my email later to see how many of us actually did it - some registered for the 5k and quite frankly i'd have stayed home for that! Anyhow, made my way to the start and already my hands are freezing. Mind you it's snowing, blowing and downright COLD! I think i crossed the start about 2 mins into the race and just headed into it. The first couple miles were a usual 'warm-up' feeling for me, but I really struggled through miles 3 - 6. My shoes were already squishy at mile 3 and my foot was hurting, i think my shoe may have been tied a hair too tight, we'lll see if a bruise pops up. Anyhoo -- I kept thinking OHMYGOSH it's only mile 3 and i'm miserable -- i have 9 miles, more than 2 hours to go!!! I remember grabbing a water about mile 4.5 and asking the volunteer what mile was it? he didn't know, "I think maybe mile 3?" i said "NO WAY!" and just plunged forward. I believe this was at the begining of about a 4 miles strech on High Street (which is the heart of downtown, leads into the OSU campus area) and literally walked against the wind the entire stretch. Just before mile 6 there was a slight hill (less steep then Comtemporary but longer) and i thought it was a flat course. Just not prepared mentally for walking uphill, into the wind and snow I guess. But thankfully at the top of the hill another gal turned to me and commented on the hill and we started chatting. She had a 'thing' to run past the mile markers, well jog past them, so I jogged with her and we continued chatting. I really believe that was an answered prayer, i needed a buddy! (contrary to Mom's posting on the other thread, she didn't realize that my neighbor did NOT register with me) She needed a buddy too and we both said "thank goodness for someone to talk with!" and i know we kept each other going. Thank you Keri Ann, nice to meet you and talk! Anyhoo -- we continued and she was timing each mile (hence the jog approach) and we averaged about 14:10 miles, actually did one mile just under 14 mins. She got a second wind at mile 12 and I bid her a "You Go Girl!" and she

At mile 12 I was pumped to finish, very very

but pumped. I jogged a tiny bit down a slope and then jogged from mile 13 to the finish -- gotta have a running-look picture this time. After crossing the first mat and approaching the finish the was an announcer calling out like "and finishing now is Molli Marshall from Marysville, Ohio........" that was kinda cool. I shuttled through the chute, got a banana and a water, and a PENGUIN MEDAL (let the volunteer clip my championchip off b/c no way could I bend down!) and headed to my van. and literally I could barely turn the key in my ignition my hands were sooooo very

and swollen. I was soaked to the bone. I did it and i'm proud I did -- but never will I go that distance in that weather again!!!!