5K Run!

Saturday July 11, 2010 I completed my first 5K run!
It was spectacular. I finished in just over 34 minutes. My unrealistic goal was to complete it in 30 flat. My realistic goal was to run it and finish with a time that was less than 40 minutes. I achieved both of my realistic goals. I couldn't be happier.

It was that day that I realized how much I have actually accomplished over the last 2 and 1/2 months. Which is quite honestly, a LOT! I will not go into all of my accomplishments since, after all, this post is about the 5K run I mentioned. I spent 9 weeks training for this 5K. There were times I thought, run for 30 minutes straight...no way! But, I did. I succeeded. I got through the training and put that training to the test.
The 5K run I took part in was a charity event raising money for the local Guild's School of the city I live in. The Guild's School is a school for children with disabilities. The run was put on by the gym that I am a member of. It was perfect timing and what better way to test my body physically then by running for a good cause.

Before and after my run were not the most happy times of my life. I had no one there to support me. My mom was originally supposed to go and bring Lily. But she "forgot" and scheduled something else to do for herself. So, I, at the last minute had to find someone else to watch Lily. My mother in law was able to do it. She just came to my house and watched her. I was really bummed when I arrived at the race knowing that no one would be there at the finish line to cheer for me and watch me finish. I cried several tears when I first found out that my mom wasn't going to go. At first I was mad that she wasn't going to watch Lily then, I soon realized that the reason I was so upset was not because she wasn't going to watch Lily, it was because she wasn't going to be there to support me. And maybe you are wondering about my husband...he works every Saturday starting at 9 am and the run was at 9. I know he would have been there in a heartbeat if he could have.

Upon my arrival I spotted a friend of ours and her friend. Actually, she is my husbands boss. I approached her and talked with her and her friend. She knew it was my first 5K. She is a super, great athlete and is training for a full marathon. Actually, she is going to try to qualify for the Boston. Pretty sweet! Anyway, she asked if I was excited and I told her no, that I was actually bummed because no one was coming. We chit chatted until the race started. I started strong. I ran half of it with a really good pace. I was going to keep track on my iPod and forgot to start it a couple blocks in so, I decided to just start it late. I took it out of the arm band where I had also put my car key. Since it was my first race and I didn't have anyone there I wasn't sure what to do with my stuff so, I thought I would just throw everything in my trunk except for my car key. I put the key in my arm band with my iPod thinking that would be a good spot for it. I ran, and finished the race. On the other side of the finish line was my friend and her friend. They had waited for me to finish. I was so happy! It meant more to me than they probably realized.
Pictures I took before the race since I had no one to talk pictures of me.

They congratulated me on my great job. They finished about 10 minutes ahead of me at first and second place. I was probably about 10th place. It was a very small run. We said our good byes. They had left there stuff with the gym employees inside the gym. I started walking across the parking lot to my car, got to my car, and unzipped my arm band, and low and behold there was NO car key. I looked over to see if my friend's car was still there, it was so I walked back to the gym. Then, I glanced over to the car again, and sure enough, it was GONE. I was stranded. I had no phone, it was in my trunk. I checked all my doors, they were all locked. Now, I could have gone up to some of the volunteers to explain the situation or I could have asked to use the phone in the gym. But, I didn't know any numbers and was too embarrassed to ask for a phone book. So, I thought and thought about what I was going to do. My husband's work is not TOO far away from the gym. I takes like 5 minutes top to drive from one to the other. So, I decided, my only option was to run and that is what I did. I was so upset about it. I cried for much of the way. I was mad! It was not what I had been training for, I told my MIL I was going to be home by 10. I had no way of getting a hold of her to let her know I was going to be late. I cried and ran and cried and ran. I did some walking, more walking than I wanted to do because I just wanted to get to my husband's work. I finally got there about 45 minutes later. I walk in and see him as he sees me and he smiles really big and I just shake my head no at him. He asks me what is wrong and then the tears came again and I tell him the story and tell him I need his keys. He told me he would take a break and drive me back to my car. Thank goodness he had an extra key to my car on his keys. He drove me back and gave me positive feedback on my run because turns out our friend (his boss) had come in and told him about my good job. Frustrating that she had went there when that is where I needed to go but, just missed her. Grrr! Adam called his mom to let her know what had happened. She was fine with it. She hadn't expected me home by 10. Sad really that she didn't have faith in me to run it in the amount of time I said I would run it in. But, whatever. I am thankful that she watched Lily and thankful she wasn't upset that I was over an hour late.

I decided to look up on the computer how it was from the gym to my husbands work and it was over 3.2 miles. So, I ran over a 10K. I couldn't have been more proud of myself at that moment. Yes, I ran part of the second leg but, I had only been training to run a 5K and I doubled that. Pretty stinkin' awesome!

I know that a lot of people can't do what I had done for one reason or another. What is heart breaking is when there are people that would do anything to walk let alone run and they can't because of physical impairments. I have a blogging friend who has been on a weight loss journey while battling MS. Can you believe it? Can you just imagine how strong she has to be? She has had a lot of accomplishments in her journey and has lost a lot of weight. One thing she desires is to be able to run. I dedicated my 5K to her. Check her blog out here. Her name is Lesia. Show her your support, she deserves it!