Today I ran my first 5k. I was very nervous about it all week and was almost sick this morning. The furthest I had gone without stopping was 2.5 miles until today. I was hoping that adrenaline would carry me the last .6 miles and it worked.
I was told that over 200 people had preregistered for the race and I was overwhelmed as I saw the crowd and all the seasoned runners. My friend Leslie, who has guided me through this process and given me so much encouragement, helped calm my nerves just by being there. There were some others there too that made it more relaxing: Donna and Kelsi Crisenbery, Amy Harrison, and Brooke Rider. Before the race started I kept thinking "these people are going to run over me and I'm not going to make it!"
I had only trained on a treadmill or a paved, flat trail. The course today was on paved road (with potholes!), brick road and grass. There was a bit of uneven terrain which made me nervous and I kept picturing myself rolling down the wet grassy hill! The hills are what really got me. Now these were not big hills, but rather gradual inclines, but as I was approaching them they looked like mountains!
Now I am constantly telling people to think positively, not to focus on the "what ifs" and to stop negative thoughts. But I was full of all of that this week. I am known to be clumsy; sometimes just walking is a challenge for me! So I kept picturing myself tumbling and having bloody knees as I crossed the finish line! There wasn't much positive self talk until this morning.
One thing that really helped me was seeing Jamie at the start of the race. I didn't see him until just before we started, and it was only from a distance. When I caught a glimpse of him and waved, for some reason it was a great comfort to me and really motivated me. He does not believe me, but his support by just showing up was really meaningful to me.
The course was really beautiful. We ran from Holzer Clinic at Sycamore, through the GDC grounds and back, by the City Pool, Haskins Park and onto the trail to the finsh line. The weather was cool and damp but perfect for me. I was actually able to enjoy the scenery, which I hadn't planned on. And the residents of GDC were gathered at various spots and would cheer loudly as people passed. That was really motivating!
Les gave me tons of pointers that I clung too. The main one was to pace myself. She said that people would start out fast and then wear out and that I had to be very careful about not getting caught up in the crowd. I started out with Les and then quickly fell behind, but I did not want to push myself too hard because I desperately wanted to finish the race in a run. I was ok with people passing me left and right. And it felt really good when I passed people!
There was a group of guys behind me who were loud and laughing and cutting up. They were amusing, but kind of annoying. I realized after about mile one that I couldn't hear them anymore, which meant they had fallen behind. That made me feel good too!
I really struggled for the first mile. My legs hurt, I felt like I was having trouble getting my breath, and I could not see how I was going to finish. I kept hearing Leslie saying "pace yourself" and I kept looking for her blue shirt and white hat well ahead of me. I also kept praying "help me Lord" and "thank you Jesus." I kept thinking "you can do this." Had my thoughts been out loud, it probably would have been quite amusing.
After mile one, autopilot kind of kicked in. I'm sure there's a technical runner term for this, but it was much easier from this point. It wasn't easy, but easier. It seemed like everyone that passed me was just cruising and not out of breath at all. I felt like I was breathing heavily the entire time, but I know that you notice your own breath more than you do anyone else. By about mile 2.5 I knew I had this thing in the bag. My legs were hurting around the city pool, but the end was in sight and that spurred me on. Les had said when I hit the final trail that there was about a quarter of a mile left. When I hit that pavement I kicked it up a notch and passed the girl I had been following the entire time. It felt so good to approach the finish line. I could hear people cheering and someone yelled my name. I had never felt anything like that and I really liked it. I finished a tad over 35 minutes and couldn't believe it! I ran the whole thing! And I finished well ahead of those guys that were cutting up behind me in the beginning!
A funny moment was me looking for Jamie after the race. I coudln't find him anywhere. Finally I saw him walking across the parking lot. He had gone back to the car because it was cold, and he thought I would take a lot longer, so he was shocked when he saw that I was done. That felt good too!
I have learned a lot with this running experience. I learned that when I think I am maxed out, I can do a lot more. This has stretched me physically and mentally. A lot of the challenge is purely in the mind. One day while training in the gym, Todd Miller got me to go about a mile over my normal run by pure manipulation...I mean coaching. I would be close to being done and he would say "anyone can go 2 more minutes." That day I realized I was capable of a lot more than I thought. Since that day, when I think I am done, I go a little further. Then when I think I can't take another step, I go a bit further.
This running thing is spilling over into other areas of my life. When I think I have spent all I can emotionally, I go a little further. When I am exhausted, I squeeze a little more out. I think Paul really knew what he was talking about when he compared our faith walk with a marathon. I now get the parallel. There is always a little more strength left than what we think is there. We may have to tap other resources, like depending on God to nudge us on or even carry us at times, but we have much more potential than we realize at times.
Before today I wasn't sure if this race was a one time deal or if I would do more. I am hooked for sure and can't wait until the next one. I am so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone because the satisfaction was well worth it. It's strange that something so painful and difficult can be so fulfilling in the end. I guess it's kind of like having a baby! I think I feel a 10k coming on in the fall...
