I Survived My First 5K Run!

Okay...I know this is not a big deal but for someone who is not into running, I'm just so happy I survived my first marathon. I had a lousy finish (46 minutes) but I don't really mind. I was there for the experience. My friend Naomi took home the first prize in her age division. She's 19 and I'm 34, so now you know why I'm such a slowpoke (read: excuses, excuses). Anyway, she inspires me to walk and run regularly so who knows, maybe the next time that I join a marathon, I'd be bringing home a trophy too. After all, a girl can dream. :)

The first ten minutes was the hardest. I felt my legs growing numb. Runners were passing me by, and I just couldn't keep up. I'd run for three minutes and then I couldn't run anymore. I had to stop then brisk walk. After one mile, I got the hang of it so I did better. I was running longer before I had to stop and take brisk walks again. There was a part that was uphill so that was tough.

There were 200+ marathon participants; young, old, kids, skinny, not-so-skinny. It's amazing how kids not even 5 years old were able to run like it was nothing, not to mention embarassing for me! The cutest thing was seeing a family run together and seeing dads and moms run while pushing baby strollers. The fastest runner clocked in at 16 minutes. I was not the slowest, mind you. There were a few people that took more than an hour. (read: excuses, excuses again).

Incidentally, the 5k run was part of the Holland Corn Festival for this year. So Dear Hubby and I stayed after the run to look at the art booths and watch the parade. Holland is a small and charming town in Central Texas. There's something about it that warms my heart; the unaffected and idyllic atmosphere, I guess.

So far, I’ve successfully peeled my butt off the couch to run in the treadmill regularly. I know I should pound pavement and I will. I’ll make sure this is not something that I do just for the heck of it. I want to be fit and healthy. Okay, okay, the truth is I just want to lose the excess poundage to be able to fit into tiny dresses and shorts ;p If little kids can run like hell, so can I. It will be a long time before I’d join another marathon, but when I do, I’ll be better prepared. For now, the treadmill and the park will do for me.

Run with the wind

I will be joining my first 5k marathon this coming Saturday. It's actually a walk/run which is good for me since I'm in no condition to run. I've been brisk walking for two weeks, ever since we moved to our new house. I'm lucky we now live close to a park. I have a treadmill at home that I use sporadically. It's not the same as being able to feel the wind on my face, and pass by trees and streams as I run.

I have always wanted to join a marathon but never had the chance. I'm not the sporty type but I do love long walks. A week ago, I asked a friend who is into running if she knew of any marathons and voila, here I am about to experience one.

I so love summer! I'm looking forward to swimming, kayaking, camping and maybe fishing, too. But now I have to go back to my online class to do my quizzes. :)