I Won the Race!!!

On Saturday I ran my first 5K race. It was an exciting, scary and humbling experience. Statistically I didn't do as well as I'd hoped: I completed the race in 41:07 (official chip time) and came 162/166 women in the race. I think the only people I beat were the walkers, to be honest but you know what? I still won that race!

The fact that I was out there at all is a miracle in and of itself. I was not competing with anyone else but myself and that crowd cheering me on at the end made me feel like I was coming in first. I could not have run this race one year ago and I'm so proud of how far I've come and that it's allowed me to challenge myself this way.

About a month ago I told my brother that I really didn't want to run races but then I decided to sign up to see if I can do it. Well I have my answer: I CAN!!! And that's how I won the race.

So I've signed up for two more races this season. I will be running a 5K on July 11 and will be running the 5K portion of a relay triathlon on September 19.

When my brother questioned why I decided to run a race after my previous declaration, I told him it was all about the free shirt!

Here's my new favourite Quote:

“The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.” --John “the Penguin” Bingham

My First 5k Race

Oh my gosh it's been a long time since I've been inspired to write something. I can't explain it but after I had my surgery I think I was just so overwhelmed by the whole experience I couldn't actually lay my thoughts to paper. And this is not to say that it's been a bad experience whatsoever.... it's been an absolutely amazing experience that has completely altered my life forever. Perhaps that's it in a nutshell.

So why am I back? Well as I sit here I am less than 5 hours away from running in my first 5K race and feeling a little bit nervous! Since having my surgery I have had an urge to run but 75 lbs ago I would have crippled myself if I tried. There is no way my joints would have stood up to the task but around February at the 50 lb mark I was ready to give it a go.

I joined the Running Room Learn to Run Clinic and haven't looked back. Most weeks I run 3 times per week, anywhere from 25 to 40 minutes. I don't do this without taking walk breaks but everything I have read and heard indicates that these walk breaks are actually beneficial so I feel no guilt.

My objective today is to run the 5k in under 40 minutes since I have been averaging an 8 minute kilometer lately. If I can best that slightly I will have won the race with myself, and that's all that matters. I honestly don't care if I come in last - okay maybe I care a little - but I have no intention of trying to make the top 100 even! This is about me and nobody else. What a milestone in my journey though.

Now if only this nervous nausea would pass....