The 5K Challenge

Back awhile ago, so long I don't remember when, our Stake Relief Society came up with this idea of a "Marathon to Moroni" meaning that we would run 26.whatever miles from St. Anthony to the Rexburg Temple. I thought to myself that is the craziest thing ever and only one maybe two people in our Stake are going to want to do that. But, then I learned that the marathon would be broken up into many different segments along the way. A friend of mine, in our Ward, said, "Robin, you are on my team." And in a moment of weakness, or stupidity, I said, "Yah, duh." But then I thought about how I can't even run from my door to the mailbox, let alone a "segment" of a marathon. Then, a long time passed, and I kind of forgot about it. When there is snow on the ground it is easy to forget about those things, 

Then came April and it was mentioned again and I had a choice to make, pull out with some excuse or get in shape to run. I decided to run. I started a Couch to 5k program with a friend. She was a dear to come with me at 5:00 a.m. each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. It was cold and it was very dark. But we did it and we were getting better. The program works on building strength and stamina in small increments. Usually, each week has one routine made up of timed running and walking segments. It starts off with alternating 60 seconds of running with 90 of walking and that was hard. There was no way I would be able to run 30 minutes. I was dying at 60 seconds. But we kept at it and got all the way to Week 3 when BAM!!! I broke my toe. Actually, it got broken. Sure it was just a little pinkie toe but it was a whole lot of big pain. For weeks I couldn't get a shoe on. So, I did nothing because I couldn't.

Finally I decided it was time to start again. I thought that we would start where we left off but NO I couldn't run three minutes. We had to start again, back to the beginning, as if we hadn't done a thing EVER!!! It was terribly frustrating and disappointing. I decided that the toe was probably just the excuse I was looking for and could now pull out quite easily. After all, the doctor said it could and probably would plague me all summer. But, I really needed to get in shape and this was a good goal to keep in mind. So, we started AGAIN! With an additional goal - The Pioneer Days Fun Run.

I had read about the dreaded Week 5 and wondered about it but I refused to look at it until we were there. Well, we are there and it is a KILLER. Day one makes a big leap and you have to jog for 5 minutes and then recovery walking  like 90 seconds, then repeat.  Day 2 makes you run 3/4 mile two times with a 1/2 mile walk stuck in the middle. That was a killer. Thought I would die. But, nothing quite prepared me for the shock of Day 3 - JOG 2 MILES NO WALKING. Seriously, it must have been an app mistake. I checked online and it wasn't. I didn't sleep very well last night thinking about it, and, my running partner was out of town. I was on my own. 

This morning I, reluctantly, put on my running shoes, which are very comfy and cute by the way, and biked to the track. It was pretty lonely over there. Just me and a hooting owl in a nearby tree. With great trepidation I started out. And I kept going, and going, and going. I was like the Energizer bunny on it's last bit of battery power - still doing its thing but not too quickly. Doesn't matter because I FINISHED TWO MILES without stopping. I came through it with a new sense of "Can Do!" And we will. And I am not even scared of the Fun Run now. I've got this!

Life is Good - and that is the longest/furthest I have ever run in my whole entire life.