I ran my first official 5k (chipped and all) on Saturday with a great friend of mine. It was very comforting running with someone that knew what they were doing. She's been running for a long time now and has completed numerous half marathons, so the girl knows what she's doing when it comes to races. It was an incredible first time experience and here's how it went down for me...
I got up at 6:30am to shower (I had plenty of time and I needed to wake up) and get the troops up and ready to go. Jay and Max went with me since Tony was out of town this weekend for the New York Comic Con (thank goodness he's back!). The boys wanted to shower and get fixed up. They are officially teenagers and have to look presentable to go anywhere, while I am now at the age that I just don't care what I look like when I go out anymore as long as I don't stink (that's a personal rule).
Anyway, I did have a small cup of coffee (6:45am) and half a banana (8:00am). I took what everyone suggested from the other day and decided I could deal with a small cup of coffee and the 1/2 banana spread out over that time. The race was at 9:45am and I needed some fuel to get me going.
I got there in plenty of time which is exactly how I wanted it to be. I met my friend at 9:00am to hit the potty and head over to get our numbers. The weirdest part at this point was waiting for the race to start. I definitely got in some people watching. THAT was fun, but I really just wanted to take off! For me, it wasn't about running the fastest, but I was really just ready to RUN!
The gun went off and we weaved our way around people to get to a spot that was comfortable. My friend helped me with my nerves about the race by telling me in earlier conversations that it's not a race, just us going for a run chatting and enjoying the scenery. That is exactly what it was! The race route was through the city of Roswell (absolutely beautiful), then into a trail and ended at the football field. There were two nice size hills with a small one at the very end (in my mind, it was the end and that hill could have been a steep incline...I was done!). It was a beautiful run and we talked through the whole thing! Ironically, it was my fastest outside run so far (so a PR for me!) and a PR for my friend! She pulled a clever move at the end by sprinting to the end. I could not do that. I'm definitely not a long stride kind of gal. I did not want to fall on my face, which I have done before. The streets were lined with people because there was a parade right after we took off. People were so nice along the route yelling "great job" and "you're doing great". Seriously, that meant so much! Definitely mood boosters through the route!
The race felt amazing! I think I actually hit a breakthrough with this run. Normally, even with all the exercising I do, my legs really feel it when I run 5k. A huge thing I've learned through training, running is like no other exercise. It works so many things in so many ways...it's amazing! This time, my legs felt great! No heavy legs or sore muscles at all! I am so happy to hit my sweet spot!
One thing that I definitely learned is that my lungs have some work to do though. I definitely felt that run in my lungs more than anything. I did well keeping things under control, but at the end of the run (literally the end was around the corner and around a quarter of the football field), there was a grill going for the food festivities after the race. The grill was right through the trees and I took a deep breath or smoke right there and it hurt! I was fine, I just wish I hadn't taken a deep breath at that moment or that the grill was on the other side of the field. Not debilitating, just not what I wanted at the time. It actually burned for a little while after that too.
So, after the race was done, we walked back over to our crew that was watching the parade to do a little watching and then we headed our separate ways. I took my crew for take out at Chipotle as an appreciation for getting up and cheering me on. They love that place!
We chilled out and watch some tv while we refueled! I had a warm kale salad with an over easy egg, fresh banana peppers, tomatoes, apple cider vinegar and nutritional yeast. I just lightly steamed the kale in the microwave to soften it a bit. It was delicious!
Also, a toasted piece of flatbread (minus rosemary on this one) for dipping! Love the crunchy outside and doughy inside. I've started mixing it half chickpea flour and half quinoa flour...so good!
I have one more thing to mention. My clothes were perfect for the weather, but not really anything that I need to advertise. Tank top, pants, compression socks and oh my Mizunos (<--totally worth mentioning and are like magic Kristin!) I will tell you that I LOVE my bondiband though! I won this about a year and a half ago from Heather and I've not really had a use for it after chopping my hair off. My hair has grown out some and I didn't want to wear my hat, so I pulled this one out. My friend's husband said he liked that it was bright pink so he could spot us easily! Even bigger bonus! It did not slip at all and it was extremely comfortable. I'm not one to like things wrapped around my head, so it's a lot coming from me that I really found these comfortable! Thanks, again, Heather!
All in all, a great day! I'm so happy to have had the experience and I feel so fortunate to have found joy in running!
Do you know what I want to do today? RUN!
Labels: about me, gluten free |
you had me GRINNING at the words 'the race felt amazing.'
Miz.