i ran my very first 5k this past saturday. the first time i have ever run a mile without stopping was last year and saturday was the first time i had ever run 3.1 miles.
a nurse that i work with was like we should run a 5k and i was like ok. i have been trying to become a runner. my training is by no means the best way to train but it somehow worked for me. it kind of looked like this...
i know i can run a mile so i'll do that a few times. then one day i decided to run around the lake by my house which is 1.25 miles...i decided to do that for a little bit combined with walking around it once. well one day i was like i can go a little further so i made it to running 2 miles...then i would add .10 segments to my distance...before saturday i had never run 3.1 miles...they have tons of different training plans out there to prepare people to run a 5k...maybe WHEN i train for my next 5k i'll use one of those fancy training tools...
i rode with my friend susan to the race site...we got there a little early and i was nervous...we picked up our packets and then waited in the car until it was about time to start. at the start of the race i just kept telling myself keep your feet moving and go as slow as you need to. i only had two goals when running...run the whole thing and do it under 45 minutes.
as i am standing there getting ready to run i pick out a good song to get the momentum started..they announce the start and we are off...we are going at a slow pace and i am completely ok with it. susan and i had decided at the beginning that if either one of us wanted to run ahead that was ok...we stuck together the whole time...as we were running we go to a point where we saw people who were already on their way back...i was like WHAT??? but didn't let it bother me and just kept running...when we got to the 1mile mark there were kids cheering us on...i began to tear up because i started thinking about how i couldn't even run a mile last year....we continued on and i teared up again at the 1.5 mile mark and again at the 2 mile mark...once we were past that mark i just started watching what was around me and began making goals in my head of where to run to next...i kept running and felt good the whole time. i kept praying and saying...
I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO GIVES ME STRENGTH
as we continued to run i spotted the 3 mile mark ahead and i was like i'm almost done and i couldn't believe it. as we got closer to the finish line the cheering got louder and i decided to run a little faster. i crossed the finish line and burst in to tears...I DID IT!!! i ran my very first 5k and i did it in 43:08. i met both of my goals. i didn't realize it would be so emotional but then i started thinking about it...i had always told myself that i would never be a runner and that i couldn't do it. well I DID IT and I AM becoming a runner. it made me think about other things in my life where i might not be pushing myself enough and wondering what needs to change...
the moral of the story is...YOU CAN DO IT...whatever it is you keep telling yourself you can't do...YOU CAN...i did it and i believe you can too...and God believes in you more than i do!
 |
| my friend susan and me |
 |
| after the big race! |
