Yesterday I ran my first 5k of the season, Get Your Rear in Gear. It was a great race and I was able to run with my friend Janet for a while, so that was even better. That race actually made race 4 for me in the past year. Such a cool thought for me. Who would of thought that I would become a runner? Yesterday was the first race of 4 I have planned through June, one in April, one in May and the BIG HALF in June.
So the race yesterday... Get Your Rear in Gear raises support for Colon Cancer Research. There was a group of us that ran in honor of Janet's mother, a colon cancer survivor. Our team was called Team Semi-Colon. The best team name I saw was, The Wise Cracks. Quite creative. The night before the run I found myself a bit more nervous than I anticipated. I really just wanted to beat my previous race times and I think I placed some pressure on myself to do so. I started tossing and turning in bed around 4:30 in the MORNING. That is a bit ridiculous! So finally around 5:45 I decided I would get up and begin getting ready for the race that started at
8:15. The weather was a bit dreary but I watched the weather and at 6:30 or so they said it wasn't supposed to start raining until the evening. I shouldn't have been surprised by the fact that it was raining on me when I got to all the event tents, those weather people sometimes have difficulty getting out accurate weather information... oh well.
I didn't even hear them begin the race. I just saw a lot of people start moving and several in a jogging motion. But there were A LOT of walkers. A LOT OF THEM. It's hard to weave in and out of walkers in a race. I had to weave for several minutes but then Janet and I finally reached a nice sized pocket of space. This course was a bit hilly with one really long gradual incline. I have been running on hills, not necessarily in preparation of this race, but it did help. However, while running the hill I was thinking THIS THING NEEDS TO BE FLAT VERY SOON. And it wasn't. My roommate Rachel and friend Jessica were standing at a local coffee shop (they got stuck there) cheering me on. It was great to see their faces! As I passed the water table I really thought it was placed in the 1/2 way mark of the race. Maybe it was. And maybe I just didn't really know where I was. I checked my watch for time, but I wasn't really sure I could tell where I was by the time on that. So I just kept running, at a different pace than in the beginning. I felt strong and began passing people! That's an awesome feeling. It continues to be awesome until I realize I am not as close to the finish line as I thought... bummer. So I slow down a little and just continue running. I see a few people running back to find their friends in the crowd, so at that point I realize I am getting closer to the finish line! I pick my pace back up again and haul it for the last 6/10 of a mile and as I round the last curve and see a line of people on either side of the road, I take out my earbuds and listen to the cheers. The finish line is in sight and I just go for it. I cross the finish line at 37:46, a whopping 6 minutes faster than my previous race time from October. WHOOOOHOOO!! I did it! I got under 40 and just felt so proud of myself!
And here is a picture from my first 5k... it's great for me to see how far I've come!
Have a happy Sunday.
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