Completed my first 5K !!

Solly123

Decided that 2013 was going to be my year. The year I actually stuck to New Year Resolutions.

So I hired a treadmill and started Couch to 5k. I'll never forget that first day. W1D1 - I honestly thought I'd have a heart attack. By the time I finished, I couldn't actually get off the treadmill because I thought I was going to faint. But I kept it going - every 2 day I'd get home from work, change and get up onto that horrible treadmill and do the program for that day.

In Ireland every January there is a programme on TV called Operation Transformation - which is all about loosing weight, eating healthy and getting fit. Towards the end of Jan, they said that they were running a 5k run in the Phoenix Park in Dublin and at another venue in Cork. 5,000 entries max for Dublin. So I logged on immediately and got myself registered. So now I had to complete C25K.

Fast forward to last week. Hurt my foot on the treadmill on W7D1. Tried to catch my falling waterbottle! Silly me. Wasn't able to put weight on my foot at all. So didn't run all week. Last Wed, I went for a walk. Foot sore but totally fine to walk on. I just knew it wasn't perfectly better.

Sat morning - Phoenix Park, Dublin. I lined up. I was terrified. I hadn't ran in 9 days. I hadn't finished C25k. I had never run outside!!
Off we went. About 1/2 a km in a fell in behind a lady doing a steady pace. She neither speeded up nor slowed down. Perfect. Was on her butt for 3 k.. Then we came to a steep hill.. Off she took up the hill like a gazelle being chased by a lion! I kept the head down and tried to keep at the steady speed. Made it up. At the 4 k mark, I suddenly thought about my breathing.. Bad mistake. Started to panic, couldn't catch my breath, had to go back to walk. Walked for nealy 1k and then beat myself up mentally to get moving again. Off I went - slow and steady.

Then I could hear people around me saying - oh look - there it is. There, what seemed to be 5k ahead, was the finish. OH MY GOD - I'll never make it running that far I thought. So looked down at the ground and totally concentrated on getting one foot in front of the other.

I made it over the line, running in 36 mins and 22 seconds. I couldn't believe it. I was so so happy.

Even more determined now to finish C25k and actually run the next 5 k in full. No more walking and no more panicing about my breath

Delighted. One thing ticked off the New Year Resolution list. Thinking back to that first time on the treadmill and that first 1 minute run - its amazing what your body can achieve in a few short weeks. So to everyone out there - keep trying. It does work. Its takes time but the buzz when you achieve what you never ever thought possible is amazing!

larryc0923

CONGRATULATIONS and WOW!! To up and just go out and go for that 5k in public like that took so much chutzpah, very inspirational. You are well on your way toward transforming your life and health. Thank you for sharing.

sixpacklady

Wow, awesome post!!

shrinkinc

That's a great time for your first 5k!!

vjohn04

Congrats!! I know how you feel, it's an amazing accomplishment! I'm sure you have many more to come!

goron59

Congrats, and a fantastic pace too!

ddeleonm09

That is awesome!! Way to go! That is one of my goals as well. I've always wanted to be a runner. You just motivated me to start doing it!

SherryR1971

Congrats!!! 11 days 20 hours and 30 minutes until my first one!

LondonEliza

Well done, even with the walk, that is a really good time for a 5k

xx

adenium11

Thats a wonderful 5 km time! ive been running for a year and am still at the 40 minute mark! GOOD JOB!

rduhlir

My first C25K is April 5th and I am terrified...but thanks for the motivation!

Fatguy2Fitguy

Congrats, I've signed up for a 5k in two months purely because I need to get over my hatred for running.

But well done you WTG!

IntoTheSky

Congrats!!! I have my first 5K coming up, and I will be on week 7 as well. I *REALLY* needed to read this!

DRay64

Wow that is awesome way to go!!

fastfoodietofitcutie

Congratulations, that's awesome!! I'm registered for a 5k in 3 months and am a little worried. Did you find it difficult to make the transition from treadmill to outdoors? I'm concerned about training on the treadmill and then having a completely different experience once I hit the pavement outside. It's too cold here to be outside right now so the treadmill will have to do.

jasondcooper

Congratulations on your first 5K! I only ran my first a couple of months ago and I hope to run a few more this year.

Best to you.

NJL13500

Congratulations! What a big accomplishment to be proud of. :-)

SquidgySquidge

OMG I was in the exact same run, my first one too and I came in at 37 minutes! Lol you were JUST ahead of me :laugh:

MayMaydoesntrun

Congratulations! Sign up for more so you'll be motivated to keep running. You are a runner!

CallMeCupcakeDammit

That is fantastic! And a really good time, too. Good luck on your next one!

Ih8thedreadmill

CONGRATS! I hope to do this by the end of summer.....but these shin splints are killing me!

mmddwechanged

Wonderful success story!!! The first 5 km is the best! I saw Phoenix park last summer. My first time ever in Dublin and it truly was a wonderful experience!

JenniJen26

Congratulations!! Absolutely amazing!

Touched670

GOOD FOR YOU!!! GREAT job!!!!

I walked 3 5K's last year between March and October. Fastest time walking was 49 minutes (with an upper respiratory infection). I will be running my first 5K on my 43rd birthday in June.
Excited and scared to death.

Congratulations on your accomplishment!!! Keep checking things off that list.... :happy:

Carmella9

eeeek have my first one on March 16th! This makes me so excited!!

Solly123

Thanks everyone. I was so so happy to get across that line. And to realise I can now actually say - Yes, I run!! Wow!!

I just have to work on NOT panicing about the breathing. If I don't think of it, I'm fine. Once I try to control it, I panic.. And then build up the distance. And finally build up the speed.

Congratulations, that's awesome!! I'm registered for a 5k in 3 months and am a little worried. Did you find it difficult to make the transition from treadmill to outdoors? I'm concerned about training on the treadmill and then having a completely different experience once I hit the pavement outside. It's too cold here to be outside right now so the treadmill will have to do.

That was one of my big fears. Outside - how hard was the change going to be. I think because I was running with 5,000 other people, they give you motiviation to keep going. And if you can manage to find a pace maker - even if they aren't an offical one - try to stay with them. My problem is speed. If I'm on my own, I tear off like a lunatic and after my first 100m I'm pooped.. It was so much easier to get a good pace without speeding in the group. And everyone is there doing what you are doing and feeling pretty much what you are feeling. The runners (the guys who figured they could run the whole thing) got sent off first. The Runner/Walkers got sent off 5 mins later. I was in the Runner / Walker group. We did suffer. We did our best and everyone gave support to everyone else.

I'll definitely be aiming to do another one. Next goal is run 5k without walking - even if it takes me 60 mins.

I'm just so chuffed that in the space of 8 weeks, I've literally gone from my couch to taking part in a 5k.

Honestly - go for it. So what if you have to walk a bit. So what if it takes an hour.. Just to be able to say - yip - I've done a 5k! is just fantastic..

sevsmom

Welcome to the club!!! LOL

Be forewarned. . .racing is addicting. I started with the goal of just jogging a full 5k and within 3 months of acheiving that goal I started training for my first half marathon. . .at age 40!

Before I logged back in here, I was looking for 10k races to fit in between my 2 half marathons this racing season. I have 4 lined up so far!!

Enjoy the ride. Feel proud of what you've accomplished. Don't back down!!!

Oakley82

Congrats!! My first 5k is Saturday, I'm so nervous!!!

sprintto50

Congrats! Be proud of completing the 5K, no matter than you walked a bit. You will run the whole thing next time. I just know it.

Solly123

Welcome to the club!!! LOL

Be forewarned. . .racing is addicting. I started with the goal of just jogging a full 5k and within 3 months of acheiving that goal I started training for my first half marathon. . .at age 40!

Before I logged back in here, I was looking for 10k races to fit in between my 2 half marathons this racing season. I have 4 lined up so far!!

Enjoy the ride. Feel proud of what you've accomplished. Don't back down!!!

Eh, not sure I'll sign up for a half marathon just yet!! Although I am still on a high 2 days after my 5k - so what must a half marathon high be like!!

Birthday tomorrow - 44 yrs on this beautiful earth.. Managed to tick the 5k box just before the birthday.. Good present to myself me thinks....

If I'm ever mad enough to sign up for a half, I'll be blaming you!! Lol....:laugh:

Solly123

Congrats!! My first 5k is Saturday, I'm so nervous!!!

Don't be. Honestly, everyone there is in the same boat. Just get into the rythym and go. I got huge motivation from the other runners. While I was walking after the 4k mark, I was trying to beat myself up to run again. I saw people passing me - they were breathing heavy, some were barely going faster than walk, you could see the sweat coming through peoples clothes - and that gave me the motivation. They were feeling as shattered and wrecked as I was, but they were still running. That made me run..

Honestly, its fantastic. And the best thing - the pain of running for 5k is nothing to the high you get when you cross that line at the end. Go out there and savour victory!!