I did it!
Today I finished my first 5K race! It was awesome.
First off, last night I was kind of irrationally nervous. What if it was too cold? What if somehow the distance was way longer than I thought it was through some crazy treadmill malfunction that had misrepresented to me how far I'd walked? What if I got too tired, what if it was hillier than I thought?
And so on.
One thing that helped was last night I got a package from my cousin Jackie, who was a competitive runner and currently coaches. I've been talking to her quite a bit about my exercising. She sent me a pair of snowman deelieboppers on a headband to wear because I told her I wanted to find something fun to put on my head. She also sent me a couple pairs of her favorite running socks. That was nice.
So I got up and got dressed, knowing it was like 25 degrees out. I wore knitted knee highs under my track suit with Jackie's socks on top, and three layers on my chest. Thermal headband, scarf and gloves. And the deelieboppers.
I got downtown and after a brief parking snafu I made it to the race start. There were a TON of people, like over 3000. It was quite the atmosphere. The runners started first, then we walkers followed along behind.
I kept up a good pace (I wore my heart rate monitor). I wasn't listening to my usual pace music so I was kind of winging it. After five minutes or so I didn't feel the cold at all. I felt good rounding the turn, I picked it up on the back half of the walk. Donna met me when I just had a few blocks to go and walked with me to the finish line and took a photo as I crossed it.
I felt GREAT. I was totally having a runner's high and I felt like I could go forever. I hadn't realized how much I was sweating, I didn't feel it at all, but my headband was wet to the touch.
The best part? Usually I walk 3.1 miles in about an hour. I did it today in 52 minutes. You know what else? There's another one in my own neighborhood next weekend. Hmmmmm...
Waiting for the race to start. Note my stylin' snowman deelieboppers.
Me with brat_sheba before the race.
Cold walkers waiting to start.
Santa in the pace car!
And the runners are off, some of them in crazy attire like short shorts and bare legs. Crazy-ass runners.
And the walkers are off!
Walking through German Village, about halfway through.
Coming up on my first ever finish line!
Donna snapped this photo of me in the home stretch.
Across the finish line!
First off, last night I was kind of irrationally nervous. What if it was too cold? What if somehow the distance was way longer than I thought it was through some crazy treadmill malfunction that had misrepresented to me how far I'd walked? What if I got too tired, what if it was hillier than I thought?
And so on.
One thing that helped was last night I got a package from my cousin Jackie, who was a competitive runner and currently coaches. I've been talking to her quite a bit about my exercising. She sent me a pair of snowman deelieboppers on a headband to wear because I told her I wanted to find something fun to put on my head. She also sent me a couple pairs of her favorite running socks. That was nice.
So I got up and got dressed, knowing it was like 25 degrees out. I wore knitted knee highs under my track suit with Jackie's socks on top, and three layers on my chest. Thermal headband, scarf and gloves. And the deelieboppers.
I got downtown and after a brief parking snafu I made it to the race start. There were a TON of people, like over 3000. It was quite the atmosphere. The runners started first, then we walkers followed along behind.
I kept up a good pace (I wore my heart rate monitor). I wasn't listening to my usual pace music so I was kind of winging it. After five minutes or so I didn't feel the cold at all. I felt good rounding the turn, I picked it up on the back half of the walk. Donna met me when I just had a few blocks to go and walked with me to the finish line and took a photo as I crossed it.
I felt GREAT. I was totally having a runner's high and I felt like I could go forever. I hadn't realized how much I was sweating, I didn't feel it at all, but my headband was wet to the touch.
The best part? Usually I walk 3.1 miles in about an hour. I did it today in 52 minutes. You know what else? There's another one in my own neighborhood next weekend. Hmmmmm...
Waiting for the race to start. Note my stylin' snowman deelieboppers.
Me with brat_sheba before the race.
Cold walkers waiting to start.
Santa in the pace car!
And the runners are off, some of them in crazy attire like short shorts and bare legs. Crazy-ass runners.
And the walkers are off!
Walking through German Village, about halfway through.
Coming up on my first ever finish line!
Donna snapped this photo of me in the home stretch.
Across the finish line!