Running

For those on facebook you may have seen my posts about running.  Yes, I have started running.  No, I do not love it yet.  I knew it was time to start getting shape and I had seen an article in the little local paper about a group called Moms on the Run.  It was going to meet twice a week from the end of April until August and at the end I should be able to run a 5K.

Wow.  Me. Running a 5K.  Still hasn't happened yet, but it is supposed to on August 27th!

At the beginning of the journey I could barely run a minute!  Now I can run over 15 minutes straight!  That is progress.

Tonight we were going to run a practice 5K.  I was nervous, but also a little excited.  This girl who hated having to run once around the track (400 meters or 1/4 a mile) was going to try to run 3.2 miles.  Yikes.

Another mom that runs, Lisa, and I are running partners.  We run about the same speed (slow).  There is a girl in the faster group of runners that always says "Remember we are all gazelles!  Sleek and speedy!"  Ummm, that doesn't really describe me.  I look like a tortoise.  I feel like a tortoise.  But I am running.

I started tonight with the goal of running for 20 minutes, then walking for 2 and running 20 more minutes and hopefully being about done at that point.  It was going well.  I ran for 19 minutes, then walked for 1 minute...and I was halfway!  I started running again and ran for another 3 minutes or so and then my left shin started killing me.  I tried to stretch it out a little bit, but that didn't really work.  So I started walking.

It felt like I walked forever. I would try to start running again, but then would have to stop.  I was getting so frustrated.  Yes, I started crying.  I WANTED to finish the 5K!  Jon and the boys had gone to a park along the route, so I saw them on the way out, when I was feeling well, and again on the way back when my leg was killing me.

I WANTED to tell Jon, I'm done, I can't finish, take me to the start to get my water bottle and let's go home.  But I didn't.

I kept going.

I walked.

Then I started running again.

Ran about 5 minutes.  Then walked again for another couple of minutes.

Then ran.

Connor came running down the trail and brought me my water.  (I walked while I drank some).

Then I ran again.  I saw the end and all the other ladies there waiting for me.  Including Lisa.  She even ran the last few steps with me :-)  I tried to sprint and beat her, but my legs said no.

So, I did finish.  Not the way I had hoped, but I still finished it.

We try again on Sunday.  Hopefully I'll be able to run more of it.

I'm thinking that walking around Valleyfair all day yesterday may have done me in a little bit.  I probably should've worn tennis shoes.  But I didn't.  Lesson learned.

There have been so many friends and family that have encouraged me along this journey.  Thank you!

I was hoping to lose a little more weight while doing this, and I've lost a few pounds.  Hopefully when school starts and we get back into a routine it will be easier to avoid the snacking and chocolate and other sweets.

I still do not love running.  I may not HATE it as much as I once did, but it is still not my favorite activity.  Saturday, August 27th I will be running in my first official 5K race.  Tiger Tracks at the Minnesota Zoo.  I'll post an update after that!