Debbie, my daughter Tammy, me and my friend, Pattie
My 5K race went really well. I wasn't sure about the weather so I wore shorts and long sleeves. I could have done without the long sleeves by the time it was over. Note to self: Over 50 degrees - no long sleeves. My daughter ran with me. This was her first race running. She did really well. She could have out run me but she hung with me. It was my best time so far. 39:21. Although I am not really working on speed I would love to get a little faster. But I know that will come when more weight is off.
We ran across a causeway over a lake and it was really beautiful. I would have loved to have taken some pictures but I did not bring my camera. I did not wear anything "extra" on the run because I wanted to beat my best time and I did. Sometimes I carry my camera and cell phone. Although I did have my cell phone.
We did have a bit of unwanted excitment. My friend, Debbie, who has been my "personal assistant" if you want to call her that - she has gone to all my races with me and takes pictures and holds my "stuff" while I run - she decided that she would like to participate in a walk so she has been walking with me and doing really well. Debbie has a family history of heart problems and has heart problems herself and has a defibrillator. I asked her to check with her doctor before she starting walking and her doctor said it was fine. Well.......me and daughter finished in fine time and was waiting for Debbie to come in. I wanted to take a picture of her since this was her first 5K walk to participate in. Then I realized that we had given the car keys to Debbie since she was walking and had a pocket she could put them in. So we ran back out to meet her but she never came in. We kept looking, being sure we had not missed her. Well, as we were standing there waiting a police vehicle with sirens blaring came up and got the amulance who then left the park with sirens blaring and lights flashing. Uh-oh!! Was it someone in the race? A lady who had been walking with Debbie saw us and asked if we were Debbie's friends and she said Debbie had "fallen out" and the ambulance was there. As we took off running, she hollared back at us, "but she's okay" and we just kept running. We were oblivious to everything around us as we ran back out on the course. We could see the ambulance on the side of the road. Before we got very far a golf cart came up and Debbie was in it. She was fine, just a little bruised up.
The defibirllator is made to "shock" Debbie when her heart rate rate gets too high or out of rhyhm. She said she was not walking any faster than she normally did but I think maybe she was talking to her neighbor and having such a good time that she could have been walking a little faster than normal and not realized it. When the defibrillator shocked her it knocked her to the ground, knocked off one of her shoes and shocked her three times. The lady with her freaked out and started screaming. So that is when the ambulance got involved. Debbie said she was fine. Once the heart got back into rhythm she was okay and could have continued but the EMTs would not let her. They said they had to take her by golf cart back to her car. She has a bruise on her shoulder, a bruise her leg and her hand was scratched up. But she felt fine.
She has since gotten a HRM and will keep a watch on her heart rate. She did make a trip to the doctor and he said a HRM was an excellant idea and not to let her heart rate get above 160. So all is well. She was disappointed she did not get to finish, and she was 3/4 of the way finished when this happened. Debbie said she will not let this deter her. She will keep walking, which is really good for her, at a gentle pace. She is a real trooper. Many people would have said, I'm never doing that again. But she is excited because she has lost weight since she started walking and feeling so much better. So she wants to continue and her doctor gave her the okay! Besides, excess weight is not good for a normal heart, much less one that is not working properly. I am sure she will do it again after she gets this HRM going - I could never get mine to work right so I have up on it. Maybe the problem was the operator. ha ha. But I like my Garmin better anyway.
I have another race planned on April 10th. A 10K on May 1st and then the BIG ONE - the half marathon in June. Hope I survive that one. The first half I did in December was tough but not because of any hot weather. This will be my first hot weather half so I hope I don't combust into flames before I finish. :) It startes at 6 am so maybe it won't get too hot before I finish. My son and DIL are running it too and my daughter is doing the 5K. This is turning into a family affair! Yea!!! Now if I could just my husband to join us. He is working on trying to get his plantar fasciitis under control. Poor baby, he can hardly walk. And to top everything off - I lost weight this week. 
Have a great weekend everybody!! Happy Easter!
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