I DID IT!
I RAN A 5K RACE!
I followed the Couch to 5K training program. It worked! In just 9 weeks, I was able to go from sedentary beginner to being able to run 3.1 miles. I am amazed! And proud! I feel a great sense of accomplishment to set such a goal and complete it.
I thought it was very convenient and appropriate that my 5K debut race was a pro-life event....a fundraiser for Right to Life. That certainly fits my values.
I thought it was very convenient and appropriate that my 5K debut race was a pro-life event....a fundraiser for Right to Life. That certainly fits my values.
My family went with me to cheer me on. It was a great family event. They had a jumper and games for the kids, so they were very busy having fun while I ran the race...
They did take time out of their play to watch me cross the finish line...
Overall, the race went very well. I was already confident I could run 3 miles total, because I had done a couple of those long runs as part of my training. I was not sure how much different the course would be, since it included a dirt path instead of concrete. Uneven ground is tougher on the knees and ankles, but I managed just fine.
I was very nervous about being so slow. I was afraid the entire event would be over, and everyone would go home, and I would still be running. I was hoping that the walkers wouldn't all pass me up. It turns out, I did not have much to worry about. Yes, I was slow. Yes, the majority of the runners left me in their dust.
But, very few walkers passed me up. Most who did were doing a run/walk interval throughout the race. In the first mile, I did get passed by a 3-year old boy. Twice. He had to stop off the trail to use the restroom, so I passed him briefly. He then sprinted past me, yelling to his Mom, "let's run!" He didn't keep up that pace. He and his Mom ducked out early, and he finished in a stroller. I liked his enthusiasm for running though.
The course was neat in that it went out for the first half of the race, then looped back for the 2nd half. So, it wasn't long before I could see the runners returning, making it look like I was still part of the group. There was also a 1 mile run/walk event. That race started at a different start point, 30 minutes after the 5K began. Everyone finished at the same finish line. So, even though all of the 5K runners were faster than me, I actually finished the race with some of the slower 1 mile runners. There were plenty of walkers after that, so I was not even the last to finish. I appreciated that.
I am so pleased that I ran an entire 5K race. I had so much fun too. I want to keep running regularly, and sign up for more races in the near future.
I can't believe I am actually saying this:
I like running.
I was very nervous about being so slow. I was afraid the entire event would be over, and everyone would go home, and I would still be running. I was hoping that the walkers wouldn't all pass me up. It turns out, I did not have much to worry about. Yes, I was slow. Yes, the majority of the runners left me in their dust.
But, very few walkers passed me up. Most who did were doing a run/walk interval throughout the race. In the first mile, I did get passed by a 3-year old boy. Twice. He had to stop off the trail to use the restroom, so I passed him briefly. He then sprinted past me, yelling to his Mom, "let's run!" He didn't keep up that pace. He and his Mom ducked out early, and he finished in a stroller. I liked his enthusiasm for running though.
The course was neat in that it went out for the first half of the race, then looped back for the 2nd half. So, it wasn't long before I could see the runners returning, making it look like I was still part of the group. There was also a 1 mile run/walk event. That race started at a different start point, 30 minutes after the 5K began. Everyone finished at the same finish line. So, even though all of the 5K runners were faster than me, I actually finished the race with some of the slower 1 mile runners. There were plenty of walkers after that, so I was not even the last to finish. I appreciated that.
I am so pleased that I ran an entire 5K race. I had so much fun too. I want to keep running regularly, and sign up for more races in the near future.
I can't believe I am actually saying this:
I like running.
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