run a 5k

I just ran a 5K in freezing rain, uphill. The water just flowed down the hill, there was no point trying to avoid it. I had to wring out my socks and gloves when I finished, and I did walk about a third of it, so I’m not counting this as finished yet. I’m coming sooo close to being able to run the whole thing. I feel like if I endured that torturous run in the rain and sleet, I can do anything.

I did the run on Saturday, came in 8th for my age group. Out of 9. Ouch. The first half was uphill, it totally killed me. My sister wants to run the same race again next year, but competitively (we’re in different age groups) It was a hard race, I can barely squeak out 3 miles on a flat run on the treadmill, going uphill in the freezing cold was rough. So I have a new race for which to train, in February, so I’m keeping this goal on the list. I still haven’t made it from start to finish without stopping for a second. I want to really RUN it, to look and feel like a runner.
When I came to the finish line (the last part was downhill, it was a breeze) my husband and kids were waiting, and he said, “You looked great, you totally looked like a runner, like you could have run that whole thing over again” He didn’t know that 15 minutes before, I was sucking on my asthma inhaler, wishing I were dead. I want to FEEL “like a runner, like [I] could have run that whole thing over again” I’m not giving up!!

I have 11 more days until my next race. The climate and elevation of teh course are totally different than my training area, so it should be. . .an adventure. My kids will be there watching, so that will be motivation.

I’m registered for another 5K in December, so I’ll keep training. This one is hilly and at a high altitude, so it will be pretty hard for me, but I’m going to try!

Well, I finished. I walked part of the way, though. It was less than a minute, but my goal was to run the whole way, so I am keeping this goal on here until I can run another one.

I don’t know if I’m going to be able to run the whole way, but I’m going to try!

I signed up to run the Race for the Cure, and my sister is flyingout to run it with me. So I have NO CHOICE, I’m running. After months of “training” I’m not at all confident I can run the whole thing, but I’m sure as hell going to try.

The ghood news is that when my training program is over, the weather in Arizona will be nicer, so I can actually run a race outside and not fall over dead. I just have to perservere

I can’t run. No, really. I’ve never done it. In PE, when you had to run a mile at school, those were always the days I didn’t dress out. So no one was more surprised than I when I decided to not only take up running, but COMPETITIVE running. I’m a chubby asthmatic; we really shouldn’t be running unless pursued by knife-weilding maniacs. And yet- I found myself making itunes playlists to match up with the training schedule on the Couch -to 5 K running program. Week one was brutal. I could not run for 60 seconds without stopping. I’m serious. Nine weeks later, I just made it through week two, and yesterday I started on Week Three. I fucking nailed it, my first try. It’s intervals of running for up to 3 minutes at a time, which I know is a total joke to most people, but I physically COULD NOT DO IT two months ago. So I am feeling really good about it, and think I might actually run a 5K this year.