My First 5K !!!

Here it is February and I just realized that I completely forgot to post one of the most exciting things that I have done in a long time!!! I decided, on my own, that I wanted to run the Gate River Run in 2010. It's one of, if not the largest, 15K's in the US. I started training and at the end of 8 weeks, my training plan...(thank you Andy & Hal Higdon) said I would be ready for a 5K. Well, what better way to test the body out than to run one! So I did! I signed up for the Gator Bowl 5K to benefit Wolfson Children's Hospital here in Jacksonville. Yes, I even bought new running shorts for the event and then recalled hearing "nothing new on race day", so I wore my trusted, comfie ones that I had been training in. My luck something would have been rubbing someplace that didn't need rubbing and I would have been most uncomfortable.

Anyway..race day arrived and I was missing one crucial item...my running bra!!! OMG !!! I just wore it 2 days prior and now, it was NO WHERE to be found. If I had a chest like a 12 year old boy, this wouldn't be a concern. But I don't, so it was. After frantically ripping through every laundry basket, drawer and bed like a baby bear I finally had to give up!! The girls were just going to have to deal. I was scared. I finished getting dressed and re-pinned my bib, #303, to the FRONT of my shirt. I had originally pinned it to the back...such a rookie! With a fully loaded ipod I took off for downtown.

The race started in front of the Jacksonville Landing and ended in front of the CSX building. It was chilly out and I was freezing as I walked to the start to pick up my timing chip. HOW COOL!! I was getting my very own timing chip. I was like a kid in a candy store!! After getting my chip securely attached and I mean securely, (this thing was the only proof I had that I finished the race. We were connected for the next 3 miles!) I proceeded to the starting area.

The gun went off and so did I, but not without again apologizing to the girls for the stress I was about to put them through! I was feeling pretty good for the first mile. No huffing or puffing. I ran my own race for the first mile. I went with what was comfortable. The first mile marker had a timing clock. I ran a 12 minute mile. OK, I was happy with that. I had no goal for this race other than to finish and NOT with the pace car on my heels!! I really wanted to see how my body was going to preform after 8 weeks of training and did I train well enough. The second mile went well. I found a couple of girls in front of me to pace off of. I made sure they were within a certain distance and it really helped. By the last mile, I was ready for this race to be done. I wasn't dying...I was still OK. But I was getting tired. Then I started to think about why I was running. I was running for 2 reasons today. I was running for me. I set a goal, I trained and now I was doing it and I didn't give up. And I actually started to enjoy the running. It had become almost therapeutic. I was also running for Elle. Because she couldn't. I had a conversation with her in my head. I told her I was going to run this race and she said to me..."mommy, are you gonna run for me?" And I replied..."yes, baby...mommy is going to run for you." At that moment, the tears welled up and the energy kicked in. I had no right to take walk breaks at that point. I had the ability to run and that's what I was going to do. I had to just push through the tired at that point. I thought about everything that little girl had gone through in the past 2 years and today, she was my inspiration!! I ran through the last pack of spectators that were lining the road. Strangers were throwing high fives and I was taking them !! It was awesome. "Oh my goodness...where the hell is that CSX building??" All of a sudden, I turned a corner, looked up and saw the CSX building!! I immediately looked down to the left and saw the finish line and the time clock!! "OMG,I can finish in under 40 minutes"!! I literally ripped the earphones out of my ears and started running like I had never run before...my foot hit the pad, the timing chip went off and I jumped on the pad like a kid jumps in puddles! I DID IT!! I FINISHED!! I DID IT!! I must have looked like the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. I was smiling so big! I was so proud of ME! Finishing time was 40:34. Not great, but keeping in mind that the only goal this time was to finish :-)
I walked around for a bit, got my legs back, grabbed a slice of cold pizza & a water and headed back to the car. Today was a GREAT day!

Needless to say, I wore the race t-shirt for the next 3 days :-) I also found my running bra 3 days later.

A side note...she who trains solely on treadmill is in for big awakening when feet hit pavement! O'well...I'll know better next time.