Tuesday, August 26, 2014

5k

I did my first 5k last Sunday. I don't know what got into me. I mean, I've never run in any kind of race before. But I figured if I entered an actual race and put up my hard-earned money to do it (I know, crazy, right? Who pays for torture like that?) I'd have to force myself up out of bed every morning to avoid coming in dead last and making a fool of myself.

So back in May, I started walking/running as many times a week as I could, anywhere from 2 to 5 miles a pop, being slow and careful due to my bad knees.

Here are some newbie thoughts on running a 5k race:

*I was blown away by how many people passed me in the very beginning, like, I was so panicked by the sheer number of people passing me at the start, I started running myself much faster than I had planned or was really very safe; finally looked behind me dreading what I'd see, certain with a sick feeling in my stomach that *everyone* had passed me by and I was now the very last person in the whole 5k. Of course, there were tons of people behind me, masses of them, haha! I felt a bit better after that

*I gradually became annoyed by the people I ended up being grouped with; nothing wrong with them or anything like that, they are nice people, I'm sure, it's just that I'd pass them, then I'd have to slow down to catch my breath and then they'd pass me! Of all the nerve! Repeat, repeat, repeat. It never stopped! One girl ahead of me in a yellow shirt about my size and weight that I made a goal to catch up with, well, I NEVER DID CATCH UP WITH HER! Infuriating! haha!

*This all made my fastest time ever! I was so determined to pass people in front of me and busy staving off the ones behind me that I ended up finishing in the middle of my age group and took 7 whole minutes off my previous best time.

*I misjudged where the finish line was and did a sprint (passing those infuriating people ahead of me for the LAST TIME! Take THAT, you anonymous people), thinking I had enough time before the last stretch so I could catch my breath and finish strong at the end but GAH! No! Turned the corner right after my sprint and there was the finish line right there, just a few hundred yards away! It was all I could do to force myself into a breathless slow crawl jog so at least I wasn't walking across the finish line. I was dying!

*I was startled to hear my name announced over the loudspeaker as I approached the finish line, followed by my family cheering and going nuts, then the announcer following up with, "And Annie Rambo's whole family is here, too!". This was embarrassing but it touching as well. I mean, I've never even watched a marathon or 5k race before so everything was completely new to me.

*I didn't realize they put the medal around your neck when you finish and say, "congrats", that caught me by surprise. I had assumed they would point us somewhere where they'd hand us our medal from a box. But no, I got a medal put around my neck like a legitimate real runner-type person and everything!

*I needed water like crazy but I was kinda in a daze and I couldn't see where the water was, so someone directed me to the water table. Best water of my life!

*My husband Daws had tears in his eyes when he hugged me, and my daughter was like, "Why is he crying?", bewildered, but I knew it was because only he knew that I had decided not to do the race just a few weeks ago; because of my knees, because of my weight, plus I just felt so discouraged and didn't want to embarrass myself. In fact, I called the marathon people to see if I could transfer my ticket to someone else but they said, no, you can't. But Daws encouraged me and said I could do it, don't give up, he said. Do it even if you walk the whole thing, do it just for you. So he knew that I had to overcome quite a bit, for me, just to do it at all.

Plus I wasn't about to waste $40 and not go.

So I did do it. And I can't wait to do it again! :)

3 comments:

Daws said...

I was, and am, so, so, so proud of you. :) Motivated me to try and get ready for one in October, and if not that, then next year's SR 5k for SURE!

kate said...

I'm really happy you posted this Annie, it is inspirational and insightful and I was wanting to ask you about it, but thinking, MAN, how many times will she need to repeat this!? Well done! I think you are a hero!
Love, Kate

Unknown said...

Sis, I am so proud of you! I am so glad you stuck with it and then finished with your best time ever!! Yay!! You are an inspiration! Love you!