The 5k post...finally

Okay, so maybe it's a week late, but here is my post about my first 5K! First, the stats.
Time: 39:35
Pace: 12:45
Age place: 80/93
Overall place: 876/1106

Maybe to some this is not all that impressive, but I'm very proud of it. My two goals were to run the whole thing and to do it in under 40 minutes, both of which I achieved. Therefore, I consider it a success.

Another plus is that I no longer completely loathe running. YAY! That's what I was waiting to happen the entire time I trained, and it finally did. I've actually kept up with my running since the race as well, and I'm hoping to do a couple more races in the near future. I don't know that I will ever get into running quite to the extent as some of my other friends (Queenie :D ), but I'm enjoying the health benefits of it and I think the 5k distance is a good fit for now.

The best part of this 5k though, was running it with 8 friends and my sister (not that I actually ran it with them...they are all faster than me). It was great to share the experience with them and definitely made the experience more enjoyable. Here is a group shot of all of us after the race!

This was followed by breakfast and beer! haha. Gotta love the Green Lights festivities. :)

(In case you were wondering, I'm front and center, sporting the green headband.)

Staying positive...

Monday morning I ran the full 5k distance (without timing myself) just to see how it would go. I did in fact finish, which is giving me confidence for Saturday's race, however I felt wiped after the last mile. That may have something to do with the fact that the last .75mile was uphill, but what if it wasn't? I feel like I have worked so hard for this race, so I don't just want to finish it, I want to finish it strong. Today I decided to go for a twenty minute run and see how far I would get. I started out sluggish and was having difficulty finding my stride, but still managed to finish mile 1 in the 11-12pace range. However at 22 minutes I was still short of my 2 mile mark. Not exactly where I was hoping to finish for today, but it's definitely eons from where I began two and half months ago. So I've decided that's what I'm going to focus on (and cling to) today. I may not be where I want to be, but I am certainly improving. In another month, who knows how much better I will be. Just have to stay positive. :)

On another positive note, my sister comes tomorrow for a weekend visit! I haven't seen her since Christmas, and I can't wait to hang out with her again. I feel blessed to be so close to my siblings and love that we all try to stay in touch living apart from one another. It will be wonderful to spend some time with her and introduce her to my Illinois "family"...not to mention celebrate the festival of Green lights (and beer!). No doubt, some great stories to come (and of course, be shared).

5k progress...

St. Patty's 5k run is just 8 days away! I cannot believe how quickly it is approaching. I think I will actually be ready for it though. This training process has not been without its up and downs, but as we enter the final stretch, other than some ankle/feet issues (likely caused by my poor running form) I feel confident that I will indeed achieve my goal of finishing the race. I realize to runners, 5k isn't something overly impressive, but being the non-runner that I am (or perhaps was, as I'm actually starting to enjoy it on some level...finally) 3.1 miles will be quite the achievement for me.

On Sunday Lily and I ran for 30 minutes, and by the MapMyRun calculations we covered just under 2.75 miles. On Tuesday we did a 20 minute run, with her iPod keeping track of distance and pace. Lily, having much better form, ran faster than me, and covered a bit more distance, but based off her stats, we figured I ran in between a 10-11 pace and hit just under the 2 mile mark. (She did a little better with a solid 10 pace and 2.01 miles covered...Go Lily!) I'm really excited at our progress and I think we are both finding our stride and what works for us. It's been quite a process, but I'm proud of us for sticking with it. I think running the race will be fun, but I feel like we've accomplished something so much more important at this point. We are building in a routine for this and adding a healthy activity to our weekly regimens. I really hope we keep up with this after the race is finished.