Enjoying the view! (Pics)

I accomplished a huge goal this weekend and wanted to share it with you.

Saturday was a whirlwind. I didn't sleep well the night before: PMS cramps, and pre-race excitement. Up from 1am to 3:20am in pain watching election coverage on tv. Alarm blazed at 5:30, snoozed til 5:50. Cursed the alarm. Cursed the cramps. Do I really need to do this 5k....no.

I will just call my friend and say I have cramps and am not up to it...ok...snooze........then OTHER alarm goes off. Damn, forgot about the OTHER alarm......put pillow over my head. TRIED to snooze. UGH!!!! Daaaamn GET UP! Begrudgingly trudged down the hall....Tried to wake the teenager. Teenage daughter refused to get up. Gave up on her and moved on to the other ones. Middle schooler and 3rd grader rose slowly. I thought of leaving them all home!!! Did not want to be bothered with any them. Cranky, in pain, and tired as heck! Ok, I can do this. I will just go by myself. It will be easier. But, 3rd grader has been doing running club at school for 3 weeks and wanted to do the kids fun run....hmmm. Can leave him and his sister with my friend's husband and their two kids at the race while we run. Ok, I will just take the two little ones and leave the 18 yr old (whose best friend is the whole reason we are doing this particular race...)

Running late, teenager decides she is going to go. Ugh! Now we will be really late. With a 45 minute drive to somewhere I have never been, things were not looking very good. Arrived at location after maneuvering all the streets that were closed for the race and had less than 8 minutes to run a quarter mile, get my race credentials and chip and make it to the starting line. I counted my sprint to the race site as my warm up and didn't get any stretching in, but the gunshot went off to signal the start and I found myself trying to run...behind the walkers.

After a stressful beginning of the day, I was finally running in my long anticipated "FIRST 5K." I fiddled with my phone to get my Runkeeper app up and going, then started Pandora on my favorite Reggae station. My friend and her friend (both tall with VERY long legs) passed me and seemed to quickly disappear into the sea of runners and I settled in at the tail end of the runners, mixed in with the walk/runners and ahead of the walkers.

I live and run in Orlando which is completely flat, this race was in Ocoee that has some very minor hills, but HILLS nonetheless. And to someone new to running and did zero hill training thus far, I was definitely feeling THESE hills. I was also starting to regret not stretching...My calves were tight. I was not enjoying this at all. I finally saw the sign that said 1 mile...normally I would have been happy about this, but I wondered how on earth I was going to run 2 more, feeling tight, and these hills.

Just then I was hit with a psychological blow, turning the bend from a sidestreet on my left was a shirtless runner zooming around the corner to head in the direction I just came from....he was in pursuit of his first place medal, the leader of the race....and here I was barely started. This depressed me greatly. But I kept going.
Thank GOD the shin splints that returned over the last week from overtraining and running 3 days in a row in over zealous ambition were not an issue today!! I needed to occupy my mind. I focused on breathing....3 counts in, 2 counts out; 3 in through the nose, 2 out from the mouth; 3 in, 2 out; 3 in 2 out; 3,2; 3,2...my mind quieted.

Then a tall walker passed me. I was running, ok, jogging...very slowly, but I didn't walk. Still it frustrated me that a walker could pass me. I suck!!! However, quitting was not an option. I did not get up and drive almost an hour away to my first race to quit. Then I thought about you guys. My fitness pals. I remember someone told me to imagine you guys running along side me in your underwear. lol. nah. Instead I tried to recall all your names or "mfp" names. In doing this I could hear all the words of encouragement you have given me over the past several months. 8 weeks ago when I started C25k, you told me I could do it and offered advice and suggestions. When I lost 10, 20, and 30 pounds on MFP, you cheered every little loss and every little NSV and accomplishment. I wanted to report back to you guys that you inspired me to press on. You were running along side me, though not necessarily in your underwear, lol.

Finally I made it to the same turn that the #1 guy made probably 30 minutes earlier (I think he did the whole thing in under 18 minutes, UGH!) and I was on the home stretch. I was going to make it. My pace went a little faster (barely, but yet faster). I passed up some walkers and passed up some walk/runners. That felt good.
Then I could see the finish line off in the distance and I could hear what I thought was a small roar of a crowd. I kept going at a pace just below my heart bursting out of my chest. I was almost there. I sped up a little as I approached the finish line. The cheerleaders threw their pom poms up and cheered for me. My 13 yr old ran along side me, and I crossed the much awaited FINISH LINE!!! I did it. I ran the whole race. Slow steady, sometimes begrudgingly...But I DID IT.
Next goal, run 5k the whole way...just a little faster. Time 48:29, 31st in my age group - out of 34 By the way, I walk 3 miles in 45 minutes, so I could have walked it faster, lol. But I RAN it, all run, no walk!!! I accomplished a huge goal. I am so happy and I have to say the view is quite nice from up here on cloud nine!!!

I am not normally a negative person by any means, but lack of sleep, extreme menstrual cramps and uncooperative sleepy cranky children seem to be a perfect storm. The reason I wanted to share this with the broader MFP population is to let you newer folks know that you CAN accomplish your goal as long as you keep working at it. Some days you will make great leaps and some days it will be a snails crawl or even a set back, but as long as you don't give up, you can do it. Day 1 of C25k, I did not think it would ever be possible to run a whole 5k. I start week 9 (final week) this week and if I can do it at 216 pounds, which is heavier than I have ever tried to run unsuccessfully in the past, you can do it too!!

Thank you guys for being so supportive!

By the way, my 3rd grader, did the kids fun run (about 200 yards) and he came in 2nd!!! Yay! Cameron!

This is the cause I ran for this weekend! It was my first 5k and I ran it the whole way, knowing it saved my daughter's best friend's life and it could help save more lives in the future. Learn more about this amazing organization by visiting www.savingyounghearts.org (or visit them on FB). They saved my daughter's best friend's life. The next one could be another child you know... FOX Channel 35 News story: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10102688875374011





~Making it happen!!

Wendy