The 5K Fun

Okay, so a while back I blogged about the dreaded Week 5 of my Couch to 5K program. Well, unfortunately, Week 5 was just the beginning of the really hard stuff. As the time for the Pioneer Days Fun Run got closer, I got no further in running than two miles. I couldn't make it past that distance and most of the time I couldn't do it without stopping. I decided to try something new and leave the cushiony softness of the track. I headed to the Greenway that runs along the river. Each quarter mile is marked and so you can easily see how far you have come or haven't come. It seemed to help, a little. I could find a rock, tree, or bend in the trail to shoot for. Then once I reached that spot I would find another spot and shoot for that goal. The trail has some hills which helped with my strength but still it was so hard and I had such a mental block that I couldn't get past the two miles. 

Then we went on vacation and I didn't run at all. This may have been helpful, in retrospect. I came back with just a few days to train before the race. Still couldn't get past that block, which I realized was more mental than anything else. I just had to think I could. Sounded easy enough.

Me, Mom, Vicki, Cristy, and Wendy ready to start the race

The morning of the race came. I met my sisters and my mom and then we all walked to the starting line together, a sort of warm up. I am so glad we did it together. There were good times ahead. Kenna came too. She had decided to walk with Grandma.

Wendy, Cristy, and I ran the race while Vicki, Mom, and Kenna walked. Cristy is young and in shape so she was way faster than Wendy and me. She left us in her dust. But, Wendy and stuck together, along with my running buddy, Camille. Wendy and I had both decided that we wouldn't walk a single step. Deciding together was very helpful. We encouraged each other along the way. In the last mile Wendy and I separated, which was fun because I wanted to cheer her on as she came in. And, we made it! We didn't walk a single step. Although it is nothing to brag about, I finished under 36:00. I was hoping for 32:00 but I hadn't even run three miles before - EVER. I think in 9th Grade I had to run a mile and that was the end of my running career.

The runners at the finish line and drinking much deserved water

The walkers at the finish line - notice how Mom is distancing herself from those two crazies 

Well, that was all it took. I can now run four miles now and will be doing five next week. Yes the pain is there. But, what hurts at a half mile doesn't hurt more at four miles. I am just more numb. Once I realized that the mental block was broken. Now I am shooting for the 10K in next summer's Fun Run. I am excited about that goal.

Life is good - and I really like running!