Kellie's journal...

I survived and I was very happy to have completed the race!

It was very difficult mentally and physically, but I ran ever step of the way!!

Getting through mile #12 was the hardest part! Every inch of me wanted to stop and walk, but I kept trying to visualize the finish line and thinking of the Church I passed downtown with signs from Hebrews 12:1...."let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us" Having over two hours with my thoughts this really meant a lot to me. Many times things are difficult and we forget what we are 'running' for in life but we have a purpose to keep going!!

Running a 1/2 marathon has been on my 'to do' list for over a year now and I am so happy that I was able to do it and do it well!

Start time temperature was 75 degrees! It was hot ... very hot and I never imagined the streets of Nashville were all UP HILL!!! Who knew???

Congratulations to my Mother in Law Deb too!! She completed the race today too!!! Go DeDe!!

Also, Please remember the runner who made it to Mile 13 and her legs collapsed and she couldn't go any further .... she only had .1 mile to go in her race and didn't get to finish. This just broke my heart with her disappointment. I haven't been able to get her off my mind! I do hope and pray she is doing well!

*On another sad note, I was completely unaware that a 25 year old Fort Campbell soldier died shortly after completing the 1/2 marathon. Here is the press release: http://www.wbir.com/news/health/story.aspx?storyid=85919&catid=3

I did see a young soldier along the route running dressed in full military attire ... I can't help but wonder if that was this young man.

Only a brief glimpse of the insane crowd of people! 32,500 people were registered for the 10th anniversary of the Country Music City Marathon and 1/2 Marathon and they were expecting 100,000 spectators!

Oh yeah ... one more thing! Around mile 3-4 I started hearing this funny noise coming up behind me and I thought to myself 'What in the world?' Well .... I got passed by a guy wearing a grass skirt, a coconut bra, huge straw hat and FLIP FLOPS!!!!!

Shannon said he never saw him at the finish line so it makes me wonder exactly how far he made it like that!! It was a good laugh! I also saw a man juggling, a woman with a hula hoop and a man kicking a soccer ball along the way!!! I did well to run much less add anything else to it! There were many times I wish I had a camera or video camera with me so someone would actually believe what all I experienced today!!