I did it! I ran a 5k! Actually ... I had run 5k before the 5k... I skipped two days ahead in the program just to make sure I could do that. I don't recommend that ... I mayyyyy be having a recurrence of the ankle pain I experienced earlier with the too much/too fast start I had.
I made it a point earlier that week to go to Target and get some real running clothes, because my shorts were too short and uncomfortable to wear, and the only other shorts available were ... my husband's. Instead, I got a running skirt/skort which I LOVE, and a shirt made of appropriate material, not a cotton graphic t-shirt. I felt like a real runner on Saturday morning, but that didn't stop me from being a bundle of nerves. I swear I just KNEW I was going to throw up, and at that point I couldn't tell whether it was from nerves or from the effort I thought I was going to expend. Either way, I was scared, although of what, I couldn't tell. Probably simply pre-race nerves.
I got to the race as soon as registration opened, since I had no idea what to expect. It was a local neighborhood race to benefit a Catholic school, and the number of participants was relatively small, from what I'm given to understand. I think there were 360 people registered altogether, divided up between the one mile event and the 5k. There were a lot of kids from the school, too, although there were some other runners, people wearing the Marine Corps Marathon shirts, the Army 10-miler, other half-marathons and marathons. There was the obligatory old dude wearing shorts that were WAY too short, the obligatory dude runner who strips off his shirt the first chance he gets, moms with strollers, crazy fit people and not so fit people.
It seemed like it took forever for the 5k race to start, which was concerning me because the sun was getting higher in the sky. I was worried about overheating, and I already knew from that one poor run that I don't do well running in the sun. The 1M race started, and after all runners came back from that, and after "technical difficulties" with the timing chip software, the 5k race finally got started.
I immediately plugged in my headphones to my run mix and just got going. There was some people-dodging, but mostly people were running around me, since my pace seems to be somewhere between 11:00-11:30/mi. There were hills, but they weren't too terribly awful. Mostly, I zoned out. I focused on the music, I focused on the pace. Occasionally I ran around someone. There were one or two stretches where running in the sun was unavoidable. I felt very hot, and I got a strange ache/stitch that felt like it was underneath my whole ribcage. I had never experienced that before, but I just slowed down and controlled my breathing. The worst thing was the heat, which wasn't even that bad.
At the end of the race, though, the finish line was UP a hill, and it was actually about .3 miles longer than a 5k. I had decided to sprint the last .2 miles, and THAT was a real challenge. But boy, was it fun focusing all my thoughts and energy on that finish line that didn't get closer fast enough despite every ounce of everything I had trying to bring it closer. And when I finally finished, husband and kids there to cheer me on, it was glorious. I had done it! I had proof! I ran a 5k. I had a t-shirt and results to show for it. I'm a REAL runner now!
Since then, I thought I would start on the couch to 10k program, but instead I think I'm going to spend the month of June getting comfortable running 3 miles consistently.
You know as strange as it sounds, I'm still trying to figure out what I think of running. Running isn't comfortable. As a little bit of a hedonist, it puzzles me a little bit why I would do it if I'm not in love with the act of running. Some of it is sheer willpower, heading towards a goal which I MUST attain. Some of it is liking the idea of simply being able to run long distances, and being fit. Some of it is my weight loss goal. I do like being outside, or when I run inside on the treadmill, feeling like I'm doing something productive when I do something like watch TV or movies. I'll probably get to like the act of running itself -- I'm told after your first couple of miles it becomes more enjoyable. However, I'm only just able to run those first couple of miles, and not much more yet. I like developing discipline, I like setting and reaching a goal EVERY time I run. So it seems I like a lot of things about running, just not the discomfort. ;) Which I suppose is 100% natural. But it also makes running seem a little bit unnatural or discordant... about what else do we say, "I like all these things ABOUT X, but I don't always enjoy X" ?
In any case, next I have the Marine Corps 10k to run in October. Between now and then, I will be getting used to running 5k, and then moving up to 10k. The journey never really ends, though. It seems to be taking me down interesting places.
Well, until next time!
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