Already chipping away at number #9 on my “27 before 28” list – today was the 5k Pumpkin Push run at Seward Park. When Shane told me last weekend that he wanted to run in it, my reaction was, “Have fun with that. I’ll hang out at the finish line and sip a latte while you run your butt off.” But somehow I ended up enrolling in the race as well, with only enough time to do a couple of very last-minute training runs. And although there was a point this morning about 2/3 into the race when I seriously considered stepping aside, laying down on the grass, and calling it a day, I did indeed finish. And I wasn’t last. What a relief. I’m so glad I let Shane talk me into participating. The weather today was fantastic, and it was fun to be a part of the excited buzz that flowed among the runners as we lined up at the starting line. I loved the course (I believe I have mentioned before how lucky I feel to live just a couple of miles from Seward Park), with the exception of the hilly detour that occurred somewhere around kilometer 3. The perimeter of the park is flat, but this run took us up a hill into the center of the park and back down again. I was doing pretty well for the first couple of miles, and then I hit that hill and instantly felt like 30-pound weights had been strapped to each of my ankles. Man, I was dragging. It was painful. But I pushed through it, despite the overwhelming desire to walk, or stop altogether. And once I got down the hill, I found that I had just enough energy left to sprint to the finish line. Mission completed. Sweet victory!