Look what I did! First Virtual 5k

Last Saturday I got up early and did my first virtual race in my neighborhood. Now before you post how virtual races aren't worth it, etc. let me give you dear reader a little background.

I am 59 years old. When I was 50 I took up 5ks and 10ks walk/run style and did 6 in 6 months. I never felt better and lost 30 pounds doing my races, the gym and WW. In south Louisiana by June the humidity is to thick for ameteaurs to race. Life got busy and although it wasn't every month I continued to do some races. Life got even busier and racing fell by the side. It's been over 5 years since I did a race.

Fast forward 9 years and I am finding my way back. You see my hubby was diagnosed with CLL Leukemia in 2019.
Our world stopped! On the one hand we found out what was wrong but on the other we are in what they call Wait and Watch. Basically, you have cancer but no treatment until it gets really bad. See you in 3 months. Talk about state change. I continued to go to the gym but my heart wasn't in it. Our son got married in January 2020 and that was a very good day. The good days started to outweigh the bad and we learned to LIVE with cancer. Then March rolled in and life stopped again with lock down due to Covid. We have been so blessed and I have been like a Saints football linebacker protecting hubby from any threat. The gym closed down and we became couch potatoes. I went straight to work and straight home for a year now. We watched church on Facebook and did Walmart pickuo.

Only in the last month have we started to venture out very cautiously.

Corona pounds from stress eating found me quickly.

I signed up for the race during the summer thinking surely by race time this will all be over.

They did have an in person race but I am so grateful for the option of a virtual race.

#1. First and foremost to keep the risk down of my hubby catching anything. Flu, covid, stomach bug, anything.

#2. Mentally the thought of getting back into a "large gathering" is something that's going to take some work.

#3. When I do these races I am thrilled to get a t-shirt and medal. I race for bling. Lol. Seriously though, I am only racing against myself and the clock.

So while having other racers to play around with (I pass you, you pass me...who's gonna finish first) is a blast I know I won't be on the podium until I win my age group at 90. Lol

So all that is said because I am so happy to have a new medal.

Now onto what NOT to do. Don't do what I did. I knew better and did it anyway.

#1. Didn't eat breakfast
#2 Didn't want to post a time over an hour so when I got tired I pushed harder and did a granny shuffle/jog. Thank God the neighbirs were still asleep. They would have been scared for life. Lol. Finished in 1:10.

#3. We were going to my son's for the day so as soon as I got back I took a quick hot bath, ate some cereal as we headed out the door to sit in the car driving several hours away. Yep, I could hardly walk when we got there and he lives upstairs.

#4. Sunday I discovered my new best friends the foam roller and resistence band stretches which were a life saver!

#5. I didn't listen to my body. You see when the cold, cold,cold snap came through a few weeks ago my knees started hurting. We're talking can't sleep at night, hard to get up and down in the chair kinda hurt. I have pronation in my feet so we figured it was that and maybe arthritis. It didn't get worse and even eased up some when wlthe temps warmed up. So one week before the race I did one mile each night on my treadmill. First night 40 minutes by Wed 25 by the race I finished with a 21 minute mile. Too much, too soon, too fast.

It's been a painful week since the race but I did it and I have my medal to prove it.

The next race is in May and I have already been training for it. Not waiting til the week before. My hubby made me promise.

Virtual racing can be fun. I even had that pre-race adreneline going. Not as much as an in person race but it was still there. Don't be stubborn like me and do it all wrong. Definitely try it if you are curious.

Oh and as for all the folks cheering on the sidelines, my hubby and my daughter made a huge deal when I got home and my friends and family cheered me on, on Facebook.

It was wort it!