5K!

I've spent a good day thinking about how to start this post, and I haven't come up with anything terribly interesting. I'll just give you a summary of what went down. I woke up in the morning to see my family off to work and school. They left around 8, and I crashed on the couch....until 11. Yeah. Normally I would fell so guilty for sleeping all morning. My body really needed the sleep, so I have no regrets. After all, if I was going to run later, I needed to be well rested! 

The weather was crazy on Friday (like mid-July crazy). When I left home, the temperature was 97 degrees F! That's pretty outrageous for May in Minnesota. I was already quite nervous for the race and the weather wasn't easing my anxiety. I guzzled water all day, and had two high-carb meals. In the afternoon, I grabbed a Diet Coke and met up with my family to leave for the race. The hour long drive went by surprisingly fast. We arrived at the Dome, got our bibs, tracking chips, t-shirts and backpacks and used the bathroom (three or four times--just to be sure). The Dome was packed. There were swarms of really athletic looking people, and others that looked more like me--people that clearly didn't have as much experience. I overheard people say that this was their first race, and others say that they were registered for the 5k on Friday and the Marathon on Saturday. We had an hour to kill, so we roamed the Dome and got some free goodies (vitamins, FRS energy chews, energy bars, all natural lotion, etc.). By six, my mom and I headed out to the line-up. The race was split into two major sections: runners and walkers. The runners lineup was split again into three groups. Those with an expected time of 25-35 minutes were toward the front, then those 35-45 and finally 45-50 minutes at the back. We kept to the back with the slower runners.

We were packed pretty tightly for a little over a half an hour. The race was not started with a gun shot or a buzzer. A quick prayer was said, Oh, Canada! and the Star Spangled Banner were sung, and the lineup slowly started to move. We started off strong...for about a quarter mile. We slowed down to a power-walk and tried running a few more times until I thought I was going to pass out. I just couldn't do it. I haven't felt that light-headed since high school marching band (where I would sport a thick uniform, hat, gloves, bass drum and walk in hot July weather). People passed us, ran in between us, and a few shouted encouraging words as they passed. The encouragement was nice and the general vibe of the event was really positive. But, I can't lie, I was embarrassed. But it was a good learning experience, and I did cross the finish line.

Pre-Race Smiles

Shoe Tracker Chips

A few lessons I learned:

-I need running underwear (or shorts with underwear attached). Five steps into the run, I had the biggest wedgie of my life! It was sooo uncomfortable. And, it's super awkward pulling out a wedgie, a) As you are running, and, b) in front of a large crowd of people. So that needs to be figured out soon!

-I need to eat! I finished lunch around 2 in the afternoon and didn't eat anything else until after the race. Not smart. I know, I know, it seems really obvious that you'd want to eat something beforehand, but I was so focused on staying hydrated and so busy getting ready that it just slipped my mind. This really needs to be a higher priority.

-I need to train--I mean really train! Let's be real--I haven't been consistent in my training at all. If I had followed my program strictly, I should've been running a 5k rather easily two weeks ago. If I had followed my program, I probably wouldn't've found myself ready to pass out after a quarter mile. And I wouldn't have to suffer the embarrassment of having to walk.

I learned a lot. And, yeah, it was kind of a rude awakening. I'm really not as fit or ready for this as I thought. But that's okay because now I know what step I have to take next! I know that I have a longgggg way to go. And despite the dizziness and embarrassment, the event was fun. Everyone was really happy to be there, and the positive energy was infectious. Not to mention, I got to spend the day with my mom! This is the just the first of many races we'll do together! It'll take a lot of effort to get there, but I am really excited about our next race! 

We Finished! No injuries, no fainting or puking--a successful day! 

Our first (of many) medals. ;)