Romp Day

5:45am, April 14th 2013 was here. It was time to get my romping shoes on. Raced around the house getting everything I needed and I was off. I headed to my friends house to meet up to drive down to the romp. When we got there, there was more pink, tutus and tiaras then any girl could wish for. The music was playing and you could feel the energy and excitement in the cold damp air. The weather wasn't going to hold back 800 rompers from getting their romp on! As the starting time got closer we did a little stretching and got our romp faces on. I knew that I was planning to walk so I stayed toward the back of the pack and my friends headed for the front. Before the race started they played the national anthem. Being a military wife you can't help but get chocked up whenever you see such a large crowd stand still with their hand over their hearts saluting the flag. You can't help but remember the deployments, the moves, the friends that you have made while our family does our best to help support the ability to stand their freely and embrace that moment. While standing waiting for the romp to start I decided to try to find an app to track my romp. Quickly I searched through my phone to find an app to download to keep track of my romp experience. I found one and got it set up just as the gun sounded. It was slow baby steps at first but then slowly but surely things started to open up. As soon as I made my way under the big balloon archway I decided I had to at least run till the initial turn. The adrenaline of having hundreds of people racing around you can't help but get your heart racing and keeping your feet moving. Turn after turn I was still going, still running! Just as we came around a turn there was a huge hill in front of us. As I found a light post that I decided would be my running finish line my app chirped in my ear one mile. I had done it. I had run an entire mile with out stopping or collapsing! I knew that hill was my sign that it was time to give myself a break and walk up the hill. I power walked up the hill and when I hit the top I could see the turn around point at the bottom. I knew I could make the short distance so back to a run I went. There was a great feeling as I rounded the cone marking the half way point in the race. It was back up the hill so I power walked as fast I could. When I hit the top I knew I had to run. I had to take the momentum of the hill to push myself. Just as it leveled back out I ran in to a customer of mine and chatted as we ran for a little bit. As to not slow her down I wished her well and would see her at the finish line. It was amazing for those few minutes I forgot that my legs were burning and that my heart was pounding I was still running. Keeping that momentum I just kept going and going and going. Since it had been so cold when I left I was wearing my husbands running jacket and I was absolutely melting. With 3/4 of a mile left I had to stop and take it off before I was a puddle. I wrapped around my waist adjusted my tiara and off I went running. One foot in front of the other I just kept going. With so many supports on the sides clapping and cheering for everyone you couldn't help feed of the excitement. I was exhausted, sweating, hurting and just I was about ready to start walking a man yelled out last turn to the finish line. Who knows who he was talking to or how many times he has said it but it was exactly what I need at the right moment to keep those feet running. He failed to mention that it was straight up a hill to the finish but all I could see was the big balloon arch waiting for me to cross under it. As I dragged my body up the hill you couldn't help but get motivated by the sea of pink, tutus and tiaras that were on the other side. One foot in front of the other I made it up the hill and crossed the finish line. Slightly dazed, sweating like a pig and cramping legs I had done it. I had finished the romp. Somewhere in the blur of the next few minutes I had a medal around my next and a cup of water in my hand. I promise you no glass of water has ever tasted so good before. Before I headed to the car I took a minute to soak it all in. No matter what happened for the rest of the day I had got up way earlier than I think anyone should and romped. I romped for 35:51 at an 11:34 minute pace for 210th place out of 715.