Finished!

Six weeks of training flew by and today I finished the Climb of Hope. It really was a climb of hope for me- I was really hoping I'd be able to get up and down the 958 steps while still jogging the  entire course! At first I jogged the stairs but then I realized lunging up the stairs two at a time and jogging down was quicker. I haven't jogged a lot of uphill since 5 years ago when my roommate and I used to jog those same hills a few times a week so the uphill was a challenge too, but overall I enjoyed the race- which considering that jogging was torturous three months ago is the best accomplishment!

My best little cheerleader and jogging stroller training partner was waiting at the finish line for me. Matt's Mom and Dad were so sweet to stay up with Jonas the night before so I could sleep a whole night for the first time in three months!

Most people would be tired after running 958 stairs- not Kalinda!

My inspiration for the healthy changes I've been making over the past month and a half. I'm trying to set healthy habits now so I can be a good example to Jonas by the time he starts paying more attention to what I do. Matt and I are actually eating vegetables with every lunch and supper! That's probably normal for most people but neither of us were very good about eating vegetables (other than potatoes) during our student phase.

Jenna and Brody, my niece and nephew, made cute little signs and cheered me on right before the last stretch. Jenna's sign said "Royall is the BEST".

This girl is ah-mazing! My ultimate fitness dream right now is to be able to run an entire 5K at Kalinda speed. Unattainable? Probably. But she is so much fun to run with it doesn't matter. Jogging track runs work pretty well for us right now. We can run a few laps together, I can take a breather lap while she runs two at Kalinda speed, and then she picks me up for another few laps at her pace. Also, we can do a cool-down walk for over an hour without even noticing the time because we're so into the conversation we're having.