David, Lisa, Kayla, Isaac & Annika

So, I've mentioned before that I had been following the training schedule of a Couch to 5k. I really just did it to get myself in shape after having Isaac. I finished the program in mid-July, but have been continuing to run 30 mins or so several days a week. I didn't start off with the thought to enter a race, but I found out that there was a 5k race on Isaac's 5th Month "birthday", and I thought that it would be fun to run it, since I'd trained for an event like this. I hemmed and hawed for weeks, waiting until the week of the race to register! But, I signed up and planned to run it!

Isaac slept PERFECT the night of the race, letting me get 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep that night, and he woke up to nurse just before my alarm was going off, so that worked out well too! I was REALLY nervous the night before the race. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to finish (which wasn't a valid fear, since I'd been training for it) and I was afraid I'd come in last (which also wasn't a valid fear, since it was a 5k walk or run, surely I could run faster than someone walking it!). Never-the-less, I was nervous! But, the morning of the race I was feeling good. I didn't know anyone at the race, and next time* I think it would be more fun to have someone to go there with (I actually don't really enjoy running WITH someone, I prefer to run on my own.... but it would have been nice to do the pre-race stuff with someone). But the atmosphere of the race was really cool. This was a 1st year event, so it wasn't a huge turn-out (550 did the 5k), which was also nice for my first race! Before I knew it the gun went off and the race started! From reading advice online I started near the back. It took almost a minute for me to cross the start line (it was a chipped race, so it didn't matter). The reason to start at the back is because then you can pass people and feel good about your pace, rather than be at the front and have people pass you, making you feel bad about your pace. Anyway, the beginning of the race was really fun, trying to navigate through people and finding my groove. The race said it was mostly flat, but, it wasn't! I wasn't expecting hills, and there were several! But it was a really fun trail, I enjoyed it. I finished the first mile significantly faster than I thought I would. My pace slowed down for the 2nd mile, but I was still going faster than I'd thought. It was at that point I realized that I started my watch clock when the gun went off, and it took me about a minute to actually start running.... so I was running even faster than I thought! That motivated me to push myself the 3rd mile. My goal going into the race was to finish in less than 35 minutes. That is running approximately an 11 minute mile. I was hoping I could actually run it in 33 mins, but I wasn't expecting to. The week of the race I ran a 5k on the treadmill and ran it in 33 minutes and I felt that I was running so hard I was like killing myself! So.... when I crossed the finish line at 29 mins 30 sec, I was stunned!! My chip time was 28 mins 40 sec... a pace of 9 min 14 sec per mile. I was very surprised and very proud! Not only did I enter the race and run the whole way, but I beat my goal time by a lot! It was such a high! David and the kids met me at the finish line, and it was fun to see them. Kayla was all excited to watch me at the race. For participating, I got a metal. I crossed the finish line in 328th place, 115th woman and 19th out of 54 in my age group (30-34 women). I am very pleased with my results. Clearly there is room for improvement, but what is also clear is that I can run in these kinds of races and no longer need to be intimidated!

* I can't believe I wrote "next time"... I've heard running them become addictive, apparently that is true! :)