I did it.
I met one of my personal goals today. I ran (well, jogged actually) a 5K race without stopping. I have to admit that one of the reasons that I didn't mention it before is that I was worried I couldn't do it. I've been running intervals lately to get my speed up so was concerned about whether I could make it through the race and pace myself without over-doing it. Plus, I didn't know what hills there were. I guess there's a scared little couch potato in the back of my mind. Fortunately, my high tolerance for pain and self-loathing (as in "don't be such a baby...there are kids running this race") can pretty much smack the couch potato into submission. Usually, I can turn "I'll try" into "I'm totally doing this!". Plus my new asthma inhaler is a dream come true (thanks, doc). Let's be clear, I am not what anyone would call a "runner". I started a running program last May that involved going from non running to running a half hour non-stop within a 30 day training period. It was a great program but seriously required running 6 days a week and no excuses.
I wore a microchip but I won't be sharing my time with you. I'm sure there are plenty of you that can run faster than I do. Aside from challenging myself to run all the way (because just signing up for it wasn't enough for me), I also wanted to set a baseline time that I can improve upon. I'm beat but I feel awesome.
If there are any photos to share, I'll do that here. They had 15,000 people run in the race, (it was a run/walk) so who knows if I got picked up in any photos (I was the one with the USC hat on). Plus, it pretty much rained the whole time. Aside from puddle splash, though, the temp and drizzle felt kind of good. Plus, I wasn't looking for an excuse not to run today. I said I was going to do this and I did. And I'm sure my legs will pay the price tomorrow.
Comments
Anonymous
March 11, 2007
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March 11, 2007
Congratulations on meeting your goal!Anonymous
March 11, 2007
Congrats, Heather! Your time doesn't matter. All that matters is whatever motivates you to keep going.Anonymous
March 11, 2007
congratulations!!!! what an accomplishment! debAnonymous
March 11, 2007
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March 12, 2007
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March 12, 2007
Jeremy - you can do it...the working out and finishing the MBA/applying to MS!Anonymous
March 12, 2007
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March 12, 2007
Bad_Brad, I know and some of my co-workers already did that. I guess my point was that I didn't want to invite anyone to critique my time. One negative thing about blogging is people really feel no barrier to being negative and unsolicited advice in unlimited. They can go look if they want...I'm just happy I met my goal! Looking forward to setting a new goal!Anonymous
March 12, 2007
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March 12, 2007
How about the Seattle marathon? You've got until Nov. 25 to be ready ...Anonymous
March 12, 2007
Thanks Tim! It's all worth the hard work (even though I still hate every second of it) : ) Todd - I'm not that ambitious. Not ruling anything out for the future (you never know), but there is a LOT more training I would need to do before I even think about something like that. Boy do I admire people who can do that though. I'll do a couple more 5Ks , I think and then maybe start to think about a 10K. Hey, who is the lady that just typed that? : ) I can't believe it was me.Anonymous
March 12, 2007
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March 12, 2007
Yeah, I think 5K = 3.42 miles (or something like that). I will admit that I enjoy the after effect of running. I'm not sure if it's adrenaline or what it is but right after, I feel great. Also, about 20 minutes into a run, I get what I think of as the power boost. Probably also adrenaline but it seems like the body realizes that you are going to keep running and needs to lay on a little more energy. Once I get to that happy place, it's pretty good. I miss the good parts if I don't work out for a week (I actually end up feeling a little sick and sluggish), but I still don't forget the hard parts. It's a mixed bag for me, I guess, but I try to focus on the good effects (physical and mental). That's worth a little discomfort. I wish I were motivated like you are; wanting to go versus forcing myself. Maybe I'll get there eventually. I will say that themore you run, the more you want to run.Anonymous
March 13, 2007
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March 14, 2007
Thanks antisexy! I'm feeling pretty good about it and hope to run it faster next year!Anonymous
March 14, 2007
Good job! I run 10k and half marathons. No full marathons yet. I have planned to do one but it seems life gets in the way. Now that I have moved to Austin, I am hoping running at a decent time, as opposed to 4AM runs (lived in Phx for 10 yrs) will rejuvenate my running desire. As for running with music, I only run on a treadmill with music. Running outside is best. I love listening to the crunch of rocks, the snap of twigs and hearing your own labored breathing. Plus it allows me to gauge on how the competition is holding up. Good luck on running.Anonymous
March 14, 2007
Native - yeah, that heat is a killer! Sounds like maybe you do some trail running. My ankles aren't strong enough for that but I get what you are saying about the sounds. I think that maybe when I become a better runner, I can think about something like that. I hope the follow your lead and maybe do a 10K someday!