Thoughts On My First 5K

My first 5K is now a thing of the past and I had a fantastic time. It was hard, don’t get me wrong, but it was rewarding and fun and I’m so glad I did it. Starting out with good friends like Jo-Ann, Manise, and Helen, as well as fellow Kiwanians Charlie and Susan had me on a high from the minute we got to the parking lot. And having Dale and my dear friend Anne there as my cheering squad, plus knowing all of you were cheering me on from your seats at home, really motivated me to do my absolute best.

I had some goals going into the race and the most important one was to finish. After that I was hoping to not finish last. And to maybe finish in less than 50 minutes. I knew I wouldn’t be able to run the entire length of the course (even though I had secret fantasies that had me doing just that) but I hoped I’d be able to at least run half and walk half.

Here comes the best part of this post:

I met all my goals. I finished, of course, and my time was 44:24, almost 6 minutes under my goal of 50:00. My pace was 14:19/M, a personal best for me. I walked about half the race and, although I was slightly disappointed that I didn’t run more, I knew it was for the best given the high humidity of the day. The course wasn’t difficult and I made up my mind before I started that I would walk the hills and inclines, knowing that I’d get out of breath if I tackled those running. I was smart and practical and it worked out well for me. I will say that parts of the course were a little bit lonely for me. We had all separated into our own paces and I was near the back and sort of alone. There weren’t a lot of people cheering from the sidelines and I wasn’t listening to music and, while my commitment never wavered, I definitely felt a little isolated. Once I hit that last mile, though, I felt much better. I knew I was going to finish and I knew my time was going to be better than I had anticipated. I had planned on running that whole last mile but the heat and humidity made me realize I didn’t have it in me so I walked until I was about a half mile from the finish line. I saw my friend Anne and then I saw Dale and I heard someone (I realized afterwards that it was Manise) screaming my name and telling me I could do it and – even though I was sweaty and tired and hot – I put everything I had into those last few yards.

It felt awesome. Okay, mostly it felt awesome to stop but still, awesome is the appropriate word.

Helen and Jo-Ann were just a few minutes behind me and once we all finished and drank some water and cooled down a bit the really fun part started. We swapped stories about the things that happened along the race route. We talked about the houses we saw and the little kid who was all alone in front of his house clapping for every runner. We shared what it felt like when the winner of the 10K went by all of us so fast we caught a breeze as he passed. We told each other about our own personal failures and triumphs. And we pledged to do better next time.

And of course there’s going to be a next time. If all goes according to schedule I will be running a race right here in my home town on October 14th. And by then I will have completed the Couch25K program which will help build my endurance and stamina. Even with those goals in mind, though, I’m still pretty proud of myself for completing this race, especially when I remember how far I have come. On May 22nd I couldn’t run for 30 seconds and on September 8th I ran the better part of 5K.

Thank you to Dale for taking all of these photos. And thanks to all of you for the support, for cheering me on, for encouraging me with your comments and emails, and for being the best readers a blogger could ever ask for.

 

Related Posts

Spin-A-Thon Contest

One month ago today I posted about my commitment to the YMCA's Spin-A-Thon. In case…

Spin-A-Thon 2014

I'm pretty sure you all know that I have a great love for my local…

This Post Has 68 Comments

  9. Congratulations! What an amazing achievement – to meet your goals and finish with a smile on your face!

  13. You did an amazing job Carole! So very proud of you! I won’t forget what an amazing experience it was running with you all.

  15. Your attitude and fortitude are the best! You’ve got it all and you’re going to be able to reach any goal you desire. You are awesome and admirable!!

  21. Wonderful! I am so happy for you. Thanks for being such an inspiration. I knew you would complete the course, for I don’t know another blogger as faithful and consistent!

  22. Amazing Carole! I am so happy for you. I can’t believe your progress since May. And I’m glad you are loving it enough to do another one!

  23. Congrats! There is something really exciting about discovering you have more physical capability than you thought you did. You go, and go, and go, and go, Girl!

  24. You are Amazing! The song comes into my head, “You’re Simply the Best!” “Better than all the rest” lol! Thanks for sharing your experience with us! It is an inspiration for sure : )

  26. This is awesome on so many levels. Racing in the summer is BRUTAL. You will be stronger and faster as the temperatures drop, and your endurance and confidence will build too. YAY YOU!!

  27. woohoo!! so proud of you!! my goal is to run it with you next year!! you are an inspiration!!
    yippee!!

  32. Wow! I love the way you set goals that are challenging, and yet still real! Congratulations on your successful finish! I had to stop running, but still have dreams about it. It gets in your blood. Again, congrats!

  35. Way to go, Carole! Loved the part about the kid alone in front of his house who clapped for every runner! Congratulations on accomplishing your goals.

  41. Eleanor Roosevelt said to do something every day that scares you, and I know that ramping up exercise is one of those things for me. But, I have done it for the last 3 years, I am over 60 years old, and it is doable. YOU GO, GIRL! This is one of the most important things you can do for you. If running doesn’t work out, there are other forms of exercise that might agree with you more. Never, never give up, you will get where you want to go. Congratulations on beginning the journey, the first is really is the hardest step.

  45. Fantastic achievement Carole!! You’ve come so far already and you are going to totally rock it to a healthy new body! I am cheering for you from Seattle! ( I hope you will have some amazing lite recipes for us come Thanksgiving- cause you always have the best recipes)

Comments are closed.

Back To Top