My First 5K

Last night, I got very little sleep. I'm not sure why I was so nervous and anxious, but I was. Up until today, I had been referring to the run today as a practice and the first "real" 5k would be on the 19th. However, as I thought more and more about it, the bottom line was that today was, in all actuality, the first REAL 5k.

I got my bib last night when Steve got home from work and it was real. The funny part, is that I've never run a 5k and I had no idea how the bibs worked. I had to Google how to put the bib on because I assumed it was like a sticker... nope.

I received a lot of suggestions from friends on Facebook and one was to not forget the chaffing stick/Vasoline. Thankfully, Steve was thoughtful and already got some for us. I was set in that department.

This morning I woke up feeling jittery. I got in the shower and tried to mentally plan things out and I was conflicted about which of my training days to use. Should I use week 5 day 2 (the day that I'm on) or skip to week 5 day 3 where you run for 20 straight minutes? Decisions decisions.

We were on the road by 6:30am and arrived at Emory right at 7:15. It gave us about 15 minutes to park and head to the field where Steve's work was gathering for their group picture.

Here's where things went drastically bad. I assumed (wrongfully) that the event was going to be flat and it was throughout Emory's campus, which is full of hills. MONSTER hills. I was a bit panicked when I realized this.

From walking from the car to the field, I was tired from going uphill. How the eff was I going to run the 5k when I was exhausted before it even started?!?!

Steve's coworkers gathered and they got their group picture.

We headed to the starting line at 8:30 and then it started and we were still standing there. And then several minutes passed and we were still standing there. I was faced with something that I had not counted on... all the people and all the walkers.

 Ready to run!

 My serious face

SO. MANY. PEOPLE.

My five minute warm-up was over and I couldn't run because I was stuck behind a ton of walkers. It was so frustrating. Then we got to the bottom of the hill and turned the corner and I was able to start running.

Awesome.

Then I stopped again. Not awesome.

I could not get my pace because I was met with a constant start/stop due to people being in the way and taking up the entire road.

I passed Steve and the boys and started off and then got stuck and they caught back up to me. Then there was a MONSTER hill and I slowed down... way down and they kept going.

From that point on, I felt like it was a losing battle. I was so tired and the hills were exhausting. I would run when I hit the top of the hill and run until it was back down to the bottom. But it was so hard.

I don't know how I did it, but I made it to the first mile.

As you can see, it's a pretty flat area and I was running on the sidewalk so I could pass the walkers. I was good for a while and hit the first water station (at the 1/2 way point). It was perfect timing and exactly what I needed. I kept on going.

 
Then the course went into the back side of campus and down Greek row. There were several fraternities out on their lawns cheering for the runners, which was nice. I had my headphones in the whole time, but I could hear them as I ran past. I was pretty far behind Steve and felt like I was probably in the middle of the walking herd. I wanted to break out, but just after the water station, my left foot started to go numb.

I don't know if I pinched a nerve or what, but the numbness went from my foot, up my left and into my knee. It was so scary to not be able to feel my foot and it scared me from running too much because I was afraid I'd step wrong and sprain my ankle.

It was about that point that I started to feel a lot of doubt. I hurt and I was tired and I was disappointed that my first run wasn't a run but more of a walk. My C25K app ended and it said I did 1.86 miles, walked 0.93 at a 18:58 pace and then ran 0.94 for a 17:02 pace. Overall, it's not horrible considering that it was all hilly and I wasn't following it like I normally do.

I think the worst part of the course was past mile two. It was nice and shaded, relatively flat and then it came around the corner and it was back to the same part as the beginning... and straight up hill. For the last almost mile, it was up hill the entire time. I really had to find internal motivation and strength and kept saying, "Unicorns and rainbows..." as I was running.

When I hit mile three, I knew I was close (a 5k is 3.1 miles). I was determined to run across the finish line. Back at mile two, Steve and I were texting each other and he knew I was not in front of him, as he assumed, but waaaaaaaaay behind him. He sent me motivating texts that got me through the rough part.

At mile three, I could see the finish line. The runners that had finished were gathering on the side to cheer on the people coming after them and I don't even know what came over me. Seriously. It was the most surreal experience of my life.

I hit a stride that was strong, and I was giving it my all, and I felt like I was going to throw up, burst into tears, and explode all at once. I think it was an adrelanine spike... but it was crazy. I crossed the finish line just at an hour.

I ran and walked for an hour. HOLY COW.

When Steve found me, I couldn't even contain myself and I burst into tears. I was sobbing. I couldn't talk, couldn't really move, and just cried. I was disoriented and felt so overwhelmed with emotion. I immediately had to pee (that feeling passed), and I couldn't even focus on anything. When I asked him if he got a picture of me crossing the finish line, he admitted that he was not able to capture it.

 
So I sat down and drank some water and then decided that I wanted pictures of me crossing the line. We decided to recreate the moment... so I went back onto the course and he had his camera ready, and we recreated the moment.

Then we headed to the field and gathered back with his group from work.

I am so proud of myself for finishing. It was the hardest thing, physically, that I've ever done. Parts of me were hearing, "Suck it up, it's ONLY 5k" and then other parts were like, "Dude... this time last month you couldn't even run for a minute..." so it was good.

We headed home and had lunch and then took a nap. My legs are sore and tired, but I was able to stretch in the shower before my nap and I think it helped. 

I am thankful that have my first 5k under my belt and have so much respect for people who run long distances on a usual basis.

The craziest thing to me, was that it took 3 minutes to get to the starting line... then about 15 minutes to get to the bottom of the first hill (because of all the people). The first place runner... finished the race in 17 minutes. So they were finishing the entire thing, when I was just getting to the bottom of the first hill. It's an incredible thing to think about.

I got some awesome support from my cousin Jessica as I was running. She sent me texts before I ran and then I got a few while I was running and some after. She is so supportive. My friends on FB posted some really awesome things and really made me feel loved. I really am blessed to have such supportive people in my life.

Here's what I learned:

• I want to get the phone holder thingy so I don't have to hold my phone as I run
• I want to get a runner's belt that has the bib clip and water bottle holder
• I don't think 5k's are all that they're cracked up to be. I hated not being able to run when I wanted/needed to run and being forced to start and stop around walkers
• The cheering stations along the course... are SO IMPORTANT!!! If you know a runner, take the time to go out and support them!!!
• I can and DID complete my race-- that's all that matters!!!

 

Could It Be???

I am proud to say that I ran week 5 day 1 today. It was a 5 minute warm-up, run for 5 minutes, walk for 3, run for 5, walk for 3, run for 5 and cool down for 5. Not only did I do it, but I set another best pace and distance record.

Tonight I walked for 0.93 miles and had an average walking pace of 17:12 per mile and I ran 0.95 miles with an average running pace of 15:45 per mile. 

Could it be that my body is adjusting to running and it's finally getting into a groove? I am so amazed at my progress. Tonight when I was running, when I would feel tired and check to see how much more I had to run, instead of it saying 4:00 like last week, it said 3:00. 

I felt good tonight and I set a pace that I thought was do-able. I'm going to be running the 5k on Saturday with Steve and the boys, and it'll be good to see the actual 5k distance and know that I'm doing more than 1/2 way right now. I feel like the program is getting me to go further and further and I'm beginning to feel hopeful.

On Saturday, I'll be running week 5 day 2, which is a five minute warm up followed by running for 8, walking for 5, running for 8 and then the 5 minute cool-down. It's running for 16 minutes and walking for 15... which is almost the same as tonight (run for 15 and walk for 16). I have to just wrap my head around the idea of running for eight straight minutes. It's all mental. I can do it.

I can't wait to blog on Saturday and share my experience of running my first 5k!!

Another Best Pace and Distance!

Steve left this morning for NY and I knew I needed to run before Thursday, so Lesley and I met at Ocee last night and ran together. It was her first day of running week 4 (running for five minutes at a time) and she and I stayed together for 99% of our run.

I felt pretty good starting out and I just realized that it's all mental. I've got to stay focused and know that I CAN and WILL get through each run. 

When we finished, I looked at my log and it said, "Best Pace and Distance!" I was really surprised! I was pushing myself more, but not until the last cycle... here's my progress so far:

I don't know how it's the best pace and distance... but I'll take it.

I'll be running again on Thursday, since Steve doesn't get home until late on Wednesday. Lesley and I discussed trying to run earlier (6:30/7:00) since it's getting dark earlier and earlier. Last night, there were NO lights on at Ocee and thankfully, we went at 7:30 instead of at 8. We finished at 8, it was very very dark.

I'm still not sure about week five, but I'm going to try it. I figure, I won't know until I try. Running for 20 minutes without a break makes NO sense to me, but I'm willing to see what happens.

It's amazing to think that I've been running for three days a week for a solid month. I'm proud of my effort and feeling more and more confident about running my first 5k. I'm glad it's the Color Run because it's more of a "fun run" and not a serious race.


When I run the Turkey Trot, Jessica and I will be wearing "Where's Waldo" outfits. I'm excited. :-)

New Personal Best!

Last night we met at Ocee Park at 8pm to run again. We didn't run on Wednesday, so we had to run last night.

When we got to Ocee Park, the lights that are usually on (they're on the baseball diamonds) were not on. Only the back two diamonds were lit, and the front two were not (which made it quite dark). I'm not sure what will happen when we get into winter and there aren't outdoor sports on a nightly basis.

It was cooling off when we arrived at 8 and there was a nice breeze. It actually felt good and I'm glad I've discovered running at night.

It was just me, Lesley, and Jo last night and I was on W4D2 of C25K, while Lesley was on W3D3. We all started the five minute warm-up walk together and then after the five minutes were up, we started our run. I ran for three minutes while Lesley and Jo ran for 1.5. It was after 1.5 minutes of running together that we split.

As I was running last night, I could tell that I was doing better than before. I had more energy and I felt more determined. I did feel sick as I was running (felt like I could throw up), but I kept it together. I also needed to use the bathroom, but kept it together as well.

I figured out that one lap around the fields is 1/2 a mile. 

As I was running, my legs did feel like cement and I felt really tired, but I focused on my breathing and I made an effort to push myself to run faster. I think it paid off.

When I finished, I saw that I had set a new personal best. Here's my progress so far:

 

Do you see that? I actually ran for 1.03 miles yesterday! With week four, I am now running more than I'm walking!! YAY ME!!

I am very proud of myself and while my run wasn't the greatest, I feel really good about it. I am not as sore this morning as I was on Tuesday, and I don't know if it's because my body is adjusting or if it's because I had an extra day off. Either way, I'm happy. I feel good. I am proud of myself.

I think I've got a solution to my problem of not being able to run next week. Lesley and I are going to run on Sunday (instead of Monday) and then we'll run on Thursday. Then I'll treat next Saturday like another training day when I run the 5k with Steve's work. I should be able to get back on track the following week with running MWF and then the week after is when Steve's gone again. But I think he's home Monday (the 14th), so I can run Monday night and then my dad will be here, so maybe I can go run one night while he's here. Then I wouldn't need to run again because Saturday is my first real 5k.

The more I think about running my first real 5k on the 19th of October, the more emotional I get. It's probably stupid, but I'll probably cry when I finish my race. Being able to actually run a 5k is something that I have wanted to do, but just didn't think I'd be able to do it. To have my dad, my husband, and my children there to watch me cross the finish line is just amazing. I'm teary-eyed just thinking about it.

So I think I can do W5D1 (5 minute warm-up, jog for 5, walk for 3, jog for 5, walk for 3, jog for 5, cool down), but not W5D2 (5 minute warm-up, jog for 8, walk for 5, job for 8, 5 minute cool-down), or W5D3 (5 minute warm-up, run for 20, 5 minute cool-down). 

It seems so extreme to me. I mean, run for 20 after just running for 8? It seems like it should be gradual, and lead to run for 10 then maybe run for 12 and then run for 15 and then maybe run for 18. But to just go from running for 8 to running for 20? Craziness.

Weird to think that they want me to run for 20 straight minutes on week 5. I don't think that's going to happen. We'll see. I may be repeating week 4 again.

A Colorful Run

My first 5k is on October 5th. I'll be running and walking with Steve and the boys in memory of a co-worker of Steve's that passed away from brain cancer. She was in her 20s and it was diagnosed only three months before she passed. To say it was unexpected would be an understatement. When we do this first 5k, I'll be treating it like a training day. It's next Saturday (not this coming Saturday, but a week from this Saturday).

My first "REAL" 5k will be on October 19th. It's a local Color Run (not THE Color Run, but close). I'll be running it with Lesley, Leigh Anne, Jo, Stacey, Jackie, and Heather (I think). We are all running at different levels (I am the slowest) but it should be a fun run to do together. You don't really do this one in any serious way because they throw stuff at you while you run.

I think it'll be fun, but I'm not sure how it'll go. This is not the official Color Run, so I don't know if it'll be as good, or not. Either way, I'm sure we'll have a good time running together.

We get a t-shirt and a pair of sunglasses to wear while we run. 

We've been preparing for this first 5k and each time I run I'm questioning if I'll be ready for it or not. I pray that by October 19th, I'm ready and that three miles doesn't seem like an eternity to complete. 

Steve will be traveling starting next week (during my birthday) and will be gone next week and then the week before my Color Run. I had asked my dad if he wanted to come down for my birthday, so I wouldn't have to spend it alone, but he can't. He said he was planning on coming down to be here for my race!

He'll be here for my first 5k.

To cheer me on and watch me finish.

It seriously brought me to tears when he said he wanted to come down to be here to support me. I've been preparing myself for this first 5k and it just means a lot to know that he wants to be here to see me accomplish something that I've been training for and working really hard to do.

I can't run tonight because Steve will be at a dinner thing tonight and won't get home until later. I've asked if anyone wants to run tomorrow, and Lesley said tomorrow works better for her anyway because it's supposed to rain all day and all night tonight.

Tomorrow we'll be running and then I'm hoping to run on Saturday. Steve is gone next Monday and won't get home until late Wednesday, so the earliest that I can run next week is on Thursday. I might try Monday morning with Hugh... but I don't know-- I hate my single jogger and I need to get the tires inflated. Oy.

The good news is that I'm not sore anymore from Monday's exhausting run. I feel decent today and hopefully having the extra day off will make the run tomorrow even better.