Marla's First 5k-- I did it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Marla64

I'll try to be brief-- I'm emotional which makes me even more verbose than normal--

When I was a little girl, my dad bought a shiny, silver, vinyl "sauna suit," declaring that he was going to start running and get himself in shape. He was probably 40 give or take a year or two. He put it on, looked like Mork from Ork and ran once around our 1/4 mile block. Came home, took off the suit, said to my mother, "That's enough of that sh1t," and never ran again.

He is now pushing 300 pounds, has been sitting for the better part of three decades since retiring at 51 (7 years away from where I am now) has type 2 diabetes and his spine has fused together from arthritis and inactivity.

This, my friends, is the tree from which this apple fell. I have a 400 pound brother, another one over 300 pounds. I come from a family who always talk about needing to get in shape, but never do. A family that never challenges themselves or others-- "I'm okay, you're okay." A family where a 200 something pound sister can still feel good about herself because she's still the smallest one in her family. This is the blood that courses through me-- and this day I ran a 5k.

I can't tell you what an indescribable feeling it was. We showed up for registration and my 14 year old, whose birthday is today, decided to run, too last minute. My husband had also decided this past week to join me, plus they had some activities for younguns-- so most of the whole family was there-- with the exception of my eldest two. It was a beautiful, beautiful morning.

I'm surrounded by "RUNNERS," my friends. Thin, muscular ladies in their halter bras and short shorts, stretching and taking their warm up laps around the football field of the stadium. Warm up laps? Really? I want to finish this thing-- I have two goals-- FINISH and never stop running. I did not want to walk even one step. I didn't care about my speed. Didn't care where I finished in the crowd-- I wanted to finish running.

So I'm there in the crowd waiting for the starting gun. It goes off, and BOOM off goes the crowd. Me? I'm like the tortoise in Snow White who gets up the stairs to see the sleeping stranger in the Dwarfs beds just as everyone else is coming back downstairs. Slow and steady wins the race, right? So, I begin to plod along-- about five steps in the race, my husband gooses me. :laugh: I wanted to kill him.

Up, up, up the race began. The high school stadium where the race begins is in a pit-- nowhere to go but up. First mile and a half was various degrees of incline, beginning with quite steep-- oh em geee-- it was brutal. But, I never stopped. I'd been training for this, and throwing some hills in my workouts because I knew to expect this-- plus the wind was blowing, trying to blow this ol' vessel back downstream-- but, I never stopped.

I crossed the finish line at 32:30-- roughly what I run at home. I raise my arms victorious, collapse into my husband's bear hug and burst into tears. I did it, my friends. You can't know the euphoria.
My friends-- don't stop. Don't give up. I have nine kids, a history of lethargy and weight struggles, family demons blah, blah, blah-- and current stress out the wazoo. Still with all that, I ran a five, bloomin' K-- I'm so freaking proud of myself I could just spit.

If I can do it, anybody can-- don't give up.

To my wonderful black team and proud peeps-- your love and support is soooo incredible-- I'm blessed to have such support in my life here at home from my wonderful husband and from all of you--

God bless us all this day, my friends--

Oh, yeah-- didn't make it quite so brief-- sorry-- :ohwell:

Marla64

I'll try to be brief-- I'm emotional which makes me even more verbose than normal--

When I was a little girl, my dad bought a shiny, silver, vinyl "sauna suit," declaring that he was going to start running and get himself in shape. He was probably 40 give or take a year or two. He put it on, looked like Mork from Ork and ran once around our 1/4 mile block. Came home, took off the suit, said to my mother, "That's enough of that sh1t," and never ran again.

He is now pushing 300 pounds, has been sitting for the better part of three decades since retiring at 51 (7 years away from where I am now) has type 2 diabetes and his spine has fused together from arthritis and inactivity.

This, my friends, is the tree from which this apple fell. I have a 400 pound brother, another one over 300 pounds. I come from a family who always talk about needing to get in shape, but never do. A family that never challenges themselves or others-- "I'm okay, you're okay." A family where a 200 something pound sister can still feel good about herself because she's still the smallest one in her family. This is the blood that courses through me-- and this day I ran a 5k.

I can't tell you what an indescribable feeling it was. We showed up for registration and my 14 year old, whose birthday is today, decided to run, too last minute. My husband had also decided this past week to join me, plus they had some activities for younguns-- so most of the whole family was there-- with the exception of my eldest two. It was a beautiful, beautiful morning.

I'm surrounded by "RUNNERS," my friends. Thin, muscular ladies in their halter bras and short shorts, stretching and taking their warm up laps around the football field of the stadium. Warm up laps? Really? I want to finish this thing-- I have two goals-- FINISH and never stop running. I did not want to walk even one step. I didn't care about my speed. Didn't care where I finished in the crowd-- I wanted to finish running.

So I'm there in the crowd waiting for the starting gun. It goes off, and BOOM off goes the crowd. Me? I'm like the tortoise in Snow White who gets up the stairs to see the sleeping stranger in the Dwarfs beds just as everyone else is coming back downstairs. Slow and steady wins the race, right? So, I begin to plod along-- about five steps in the race, my husband gooses me. :laugh: I wanted to kill him.

Up, up, up the race began. The high school stadium where the race begins is in a pit-- nowhere to go but up. First mile and a half was various degrees of incline, beginning with quite steep-- oh em geee-- it was brutal. But, I never stopped. I'd been training for this, and throwing some hills in my workouts because I knew to expect this-- plus the wind was blowing, trying to blow this ol' vessel back downstream-- but, I never stopped.

I crossed the finish line at 32:30-- roughly what I run at home. I raise my arms victorious, collapse into my husband's bear hug and burst into tears. I did it, my friends. You can't know the euphoria.
My friends-- don't stop. Don't give up. I have nine kids, a history of lethargy and weight struggles, family demons blah, blah, blah-- and current stress out the wazoo. Still with all that, I ran a five, bloomin' K-- I'm so freaking proud of myself I could just spit.

If I can do it, anybody can-- don't give up.

To my wonderful black team and proud peeps-- your love and support is soooo incredible-- I'm blessed to have such support in my life here at home from my wonderful husband and from all of you--

God bless us all this day, my friends--

Oh, yeah-- didn't make it quite so brief-- sorry-- :ohwell:

willywonka

I LOVED reading this post, you almost made me choke up. What an inspiration you are lady!!!
:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

emorym

Congrats on your 5k. Keep up the training and pick out your next race so you have something to train for. I like the saying " I am not exercising I am in training for _ _ _ _ _ "

keiko

Marla, CONRATULATIONS:drinker: :drinker: :drinker:
You are such an inspiration to me! I have tears in my eyes and this girl does not tear easily.

getfitwithangela

:happy:
CHEERS TO YOU Marla! What a GREAT accomplishment!! We'RE GETTING BETTER every day! Great job! Keep it up! Angela

SatelliteCrush80

Yay Marla...congratulations not only on finishing, but finishing with such an awesome time! I'm so proud of you! You've inspired me to find my own 5K to sign up for!

kechiemc

:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

Thanks for sharing. Great post Marla. So inspirational.

I am so proud of you. Congratulations! Great time!

Way to go - just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

arewethereyet

Oh Marla, I wish I could hug you and laugh and cry together at your wonderful achievment. I love when you write a story, because I am there beside you feeling what you feel.

I am so very proud of you this sunny Sunday day! This is the day that the Lord has made!

Wow!WOOT!! Hurray! Amazing! Wonderful! Fantastic! Fantabulous!

:flowerforyou: Jeannie:smooched: :smooched:

Dave198lbs

totally awesome!!!!

inspiring!

we need many more like you:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

leann_m_olson

Congratulations on your first PR (personal record)!! That is an awesome time for your first 5k, let us know how the next one goes too!

dclarsh

WHOOO-HOOOO!!! :flowerforyou:

duffyzmom

:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

Marla - I'm so proud of you. The picture of you and your guys is priceless. Congratulations!

Girlmom282109

Great Job Marla!!! I am so impressed by you. not only did you run a 5k you blew my treadmill time out of the water!!!

You might just have inspired me to find a 5k.

GREAT JOB AGAIN!!!

MissResa

Oh my gosh... You actually made me tear up and start sniffling... I don't know you, hon, but my goodness, I couldn't be prouder if I had been friends with you for years! Great job on pushing through, and I am also very happy for you-you have such a great support system with your husband. Thanks for sharing!:drinker:

stillkristi

That was beautiful!!! In the OT, there is a story of Joshua bringing the children of Isreal out of the desert into the promised land (FINALLY) and he has a representative of each of the 12 tribes bring a big honking rock across and they pile them up beside the river. So, someone asks him, what did we do that for? And he says that is so when our children look at the pile of rocks and ask what it is for, we can tell them the miracle of how we crossed the river today on dry land. You, my friend should pile up some rocks! What a great acheivement!

Tri_Dad

Oh my dearest Marla,

I cannot tell you how proud Beth and I are! You have always been an inspiration to us both and I am willing to bet that I have not met many kinder more patient people in my life. I am so happy for your accomplishment and I am sitting here sharing in your joy! You go lady. Now you given me a time to shoot for when I run my first one in June. Mwahahahahahaha!


Much Love

The Bat Man
:drinker:

cmriverside

Marla



As I sit here with tears running down my cheeks I cannot tell you in words what it was like to read your story.

Thanks for telling it in the flush of the emotions that made it so compelling, for being willing to share with us some of your back-story.

You are an inspiration. I am so happy for you! Smack your DH upside the head for me for the goose:laugh:

~Cheryl

MTGirl

Marla - That was an incredible story!!! Never, never, never attempt to make your posts brief girl!! You have a gift. I am so proud of you right now. What amazing obstacles to overcome and to do it in such fine form!! You are truely an inspiration. Way to go!!! :drinker: :drinker:

mindi_lou

That's awesome! You did a great job. Keep up the good work. What an inspiration to me. I am running my first 5k on May 9th. My goal is to finish without walking as well. It is so great to hear success stories from others!

AJCM

I loved reading your post. Congratulations on the run, but a bigger congrats on actually being one of the few in this nation, that gets up, and commits to the change!

You're proud of yourself, but your kids are porud, your husband, and so are your friends here on MFP - what admirable accomplishments!
:flowerforyou: