Throwback Thursday: My first 5K

I never got a chance to write about my experience on my first 5k. So I thought I would do that today. And next week I can recap about my second one. Why not? Need to have it to remember when I am old and grey as proof that at one point I did in fact move my butt fast enough to run!

~Pre-Race Photo Op why my little man!~

June 1, 2014
4 The Wounded 5K- Charlottesville Research Park

Exactly 3 weeks prior to this date I had my second miscarriage. It was a hard miscarriage. I was 1 day shy of being 11 weeks. 2 days prior I had an ultrasound that confirmed that there was no baby or growth only a gestational sac. We were devastated. I was angry, hurt embarrassed and just plan broken. On top of that in the 11 weeks I was pregnant I gain aprox. 15 lbs. I was getting blood work done every 2 days from when we found out I was pregnant up until the ultrasound. Most days was bad news only a few were good news that my levels were going up. I stress ate. I didn't exercise. I sat on my butt and didn't want to hurt the pregnancy. My husband was also gone for military during the entire 6 weeks so it was just me, and Mace.

A little over a week later I decided I needed to get my butt in gear. Stop feeling sorry for myself. And get working out. We got a membership at a great gym near my house that offers 2.5 hours of daycare A DAY! I started walking, Taking classes, and just moving. As I would drive to the gym I kept seeing a sign advertising the 5k race coming up. I finally decided that I am going to do it. Even if I had to walk the whole thing. I didn't care. I was going to do it!

For the next 2 weeks I walked and exercised. I just wanted to finish the race standing upright.

Day of Race:
It was a warm sunny sunny morning. I knew a few friends were running in the race. Actually running. I knew I didn't even dare to get in the pack with them. I meandered to the back of the pack. Where all the "walkers" were hanging out. Saw some ladies with strollers. As we were straining to hear the announcer talk, I mentioned to a couple ladies next to me that this was my first 5k. I was up half the night before afraid I would get lost on the course. Or come in last. Or a ton of other things that would not of happened.

They invited me to walk with them as one of them was pushing her child in the stroller. (Mason was on the sidelines with a friend of mine while I did my thing. This is mommy's activity. No baby allowed!) One lady, Janet (same wonderful lady that did the 10k with me last week!) kept talking about this training program coming up and basically trying to convince me that I should sign up and do it. It was for the Women's 4 miler. She is a good salesperson!

~The Starting/finish line~

The whole race we just chatted. I told them what happened a few weeks prior and they were impressed and probably a little shocked that I was participating in a 5k so soon after such a loss. We did jog to the finish line and I crossed in 55 minutes. I was so proud of myself. I cried. Thanked them for not letting me get lost. And told Janet that I would probably see her at the training program. We parted ways and Janet is a really great friend of mine as we have now done all 4 races I have run in together. (well we have run in the same 4 races. 2 were actually running with me the other 2 were her kicking some major butt in the speed department!)

~Almost to the finish line! Upright and Smiling? CHECK!~

So there it is. My first 5k! It is what convinced me that I can actually do this. I questioned why I never did this before. It was amazing. It is only 3 miles. Anyone can walk 3 miles for goodness sake. Just start walking and add a little jog every now and then. There is an app that is From Couch to 5k that you can try. You can do this. It really is as easy as signing up, arriving and doing. If I can do it seriously, you can too! As you see from the pix I am not a skinny minnie like the 2 beautiful ladies next to me! Someday I will be smaller, and I am currently smaller, tone wise, than I was in June but for now I am me. I am running. I am doing it!

QOTD: Did you walk or run your very first race you participated in?

Fish Out Of Water....

But in the water! Hmmm. Trying to do some cross training now so that I am not running ALL THE TIME! Yes I have a half marathon to train for but my poor feet just need a rest every now and then.

I took a water exercise class today. It is so weird sometimes because I AM the youngest person in the class, without fail, every time I take it, and THE OLD LADIES ARE KICKING MY BUTT! They can kick higher, travel faster, and just move faster in that water than I can. I was focusing on running in the water during the "speed" section and it was a great little workout. But man, some of the things we did just killed my shoulders. It was fun. And every Wednesday these little old ladies are just going to have to get used to a youngster being in the midst and I am going to have to work a little harder to keep up with them!

Yoga tomorrow! Excited to stretch and relax!

QOTD: What are your favorite classes to take at your gym? 

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Stress Remover!

I felt it today! While doing my 3 miles I actually felt the stress of this week just melt off my shoulders. I have a crazy crazy busy week this week, in some ways it is great, and in others I am super stressed but not anymore. I just let it lift from me and AHHH! I feel so much better now.

This week is packed with teaching in the afternoon, then straight to a gig tonight, making halloween costume tomorrow then straight to symphony rehearsal all evening. Thursday is yoga, hair appointment and our family pictures followed by our church's fall festival. Friday is my least busy day with only an appointment in the late afternoon.

Next week is dead compared to this week and honestly I don't remember the last time I was this busy! This means the week should fly by.

Happy healthy running!!!

QOTD: Does exercise help you relax?

3 Days

It took me 3 days to not be sore anymore from the race! Wow, I think that is a new personal record for me. I have still been doing light exercise to keep the lactic acid moving and not building up. My friend K is adamant that after the 1/2 marathon in Feb, no resting just go straight to the park and walk, walk, walk. I'm a little nervous about that but I do know that moving is best. That and a hot tub would be really good too.

Now on to just taking it easy and in a week from Sat the 10 miler training program will commence. And a new running schedule will begin!

(on a side note, as I am writing this Mason is pushing his truck as fast as he can and when he hits the carpet he is doing barrel rolls and laughing up a storm, then does it again. He is having way too much fun. Oh to have that kind of energy!)

QOTD: Are you participating in the 10 miler training program?

My first 10k

WOW! I can't believe that I actually did it AND survived. To be honest, I felt totally unprepared for this race because I felt like I had barely run in the last 2 weeks. I did more walking than running. But amazing thing is, I came in at my goal. I wanted to do it in 1 hour 30 min and I did. My average pace was 14:40. My splits were pretty good too. The last 2 miles (mile and a half) were faster than some of the earlier miles. My first mile was the fastest at a 12 min mile!

Here were my splits thanks to the RunKeeper App on my phone:
Mile 1- 12:08- HOLY FAST!
Mile 2- 14:38
Mile 3- 15:13
Mile 4- 13:46
Mile 5- 15:22 (HUGE HILL! Knew I was going to walk up it at the beginning)
Mile 6- 13:03 (Can't believe that I am faster at the end)
Mile 7- 13:15

Couple of things. I had an escort with me. I had 2 running buddies who stayed with me the whole time! AWESOME! They encouraged me to keep pushing, when to slow down a bit, when I was pushing myself really well, when to take my jelly beans for energy, my form. Everything they took care of me.

Also we had a police escort for half of the course. We were the tail end of the 10k, which I knew we would be but didn't think I would get a police escort. While we were on the beautiful river walk area one of the police men blasted religious music for us. It was quite entertaining running to an amazing soprano belting our her love for Jesus. One of the cops almost biffed it when trying to pass us on the grass and coming back on the trail skidded on some mud. He asked later if he splattered us with mud and felt bad. He didn't but it was nice to ask. Sometimes they tailed us, when we got back on the road they did the race to the next intersection till we passed them bit. Funeral procession is what I called it since we were going at such a leisurely pace.

It was a fun race. A beautiful course. The river was swollen with all the rain that we received over the last week. Some of the leaves changed so we got to see some beautiful fall foliage. And to top it off, I got my first medal! I had only received a t-shirt and yesterday I got a medal. I felt super special!

Thank you Jen and Janet for running with me! You guys are awesome!

QOTD: Do you like doing fall runs to see the fall foliage?