Ready, Set, Go!

I decided on my weight loss journey that running a 5km race would be a good goal for me. There is a big race weekend here and thousands of runners from all over the world come to run the 5km, 10km, half and full marathons.  So I signed up and started to prepare.

Most people would have joined a running club, picked up a book about running, flipped through a running magazine...not me. How hard could it be?  So I got off the treadmill and decided I would run outside.  Well there is an eye-opener! So I ran about 1km and almost died. I had a month to get ready. I set a plan to run 4 days a week until the race, by the end of the month surely I'd be able to run 5km. Well do you know what's really difficult? Running! Do you know what is really hard to motivate yourself to do? Go for a run!  So I dialed it in...ran a handful of times and before I knew it Race Day had arrived! Ugh!

I stood with 10,000 other 5km runners feeling my anxiety levels rise.  I had no idea what my finish time would be so had no idea where I should stand...I figured in the middle would be good. The gun went off and I almost puked. But I was running! The first kilometer I felt like I was all over the map, getting passed by about 9,999 other runners, the second and third kilometers I felt like I had found my rhythm.  The fourth kilometer I was struggling and had to take some walk breaks. I got a second wind for the the last kilometer, woohoo I was going to finish!  Better get ready for my finish line photo, if only this 85 year old man would get out of my way, I can pass him, around him, nope can't quite get enough speed...SNAP!  There is my finish photo half obscured by a senior citizen.  Oh well it was time to check my results...I must have been in the middle of the pack. Ahhh that would be a negative, I had a blistering time of 48 minutes! Out of women aged 25-29 I finished 533rd out of 541, I assume the other ladies were no-shows.

But I ran a 5km race!!!  I'll take it. After that I was hooked and wanted to do better. I've now run countless 5 and 10km races and 5 half marathons.  I look back on that first race and think how far I've come...its not about the finish time its about finishing.