I was sooo nervous yesterday. I never thought I’d even register for a race much less have a number pinned to my jacket and a tag on my shoe to record my time. I chatted with my coworker Laura as we waited for the start. It was just surreal to be standing there with thousands of other women, all of whom seemed to know exactly what they were doing.

When the group surged forward, I went from nervous to excited. This whole pack of people was running together toward a goal. I watched Laura trot off at her pace and I was happy to hang back with the slower runners, hoping I’d last a few blocks before having to take a break.

But I surprised myself. I ran along comfortably and found I was actually making my way through packs of people and running comfortably at a faster stride. And I felt this great connection to the people I was running with, exchanging smiles with them and giggling at some of the women who made comments like, “Are we there yet?” It was like one big happy family going out for a jog. And then there were the bystanders cheering us on. I was feelin’ the love.

Then someone shouted out, “You’re at a mile, ladies! You’re looking great!” And I thought, I just ran a mile and I still feel good. Woot! I think I knew at that moment that I would be able to make it the entire way. That in itself may have given me even more adrenaline. I was fairly bursting with happiness through the rest of the course because I totally exceeded my expectations.

I had happy little tears in my eyes when I crossed the finish line. Yes, I did.