My first entry blank was the Monster Dash 5k on October 31, 2010.
My husband, Joel, asked me if I wanted to participate, since his company was helping to sponsor the event and wanted people to participate wearing shirts with the company logo. I printed the Couch-to-5k plan and got on the treadmill at the gym. It began with a workout of jogging 60 seconds and walking 90 seconds, and I could barely do it. My heart and lungs hated it. They were used to sitting, lots and lots of sitting (aka "Couch"). I distinctly remember when I ran a mile for the very first time in my life. I immediately hit the big red stop button, then sat on the floor with my head down, hoping I didn't pass out as I gasped for air. The next few times I ran, I would have to psych myself out for it before I got to the gym. I would tell myself over and over how far I was going to run. If any doubt or attempt to "try" crept into my head, my effort was over, and I couldn't do it. I hadn't finished the training plan when race day arrived, but it was my goal to run/walk the race, to finish in under an hour, and not to be last. I ran/walked. I stopped for *minutes* at the mid-way water station to catch my breath and chat. I wasn't last. I finished in 47:07, surprising Joel by crossing the finish line before he was looking for me. What I was surprised with was the sense of accomplishment. I was *so* proud of myself.
I felt better than I had in years. Only a few months before, I was still under the burden of infertility, feeling like I had nothing to be proud of and nothing to show for my life. But 3.1 miles later, I was high on the sense of accomplishment. I pushed myself. I did something I didn't think I was capable of. Most people I knew had never done a 5k. Though I've done many more since then, I will never forget the feeling of the first race I finished.
My second entry blank was over a year later. I signed up for the Fight For Air Stair Climb, ascending 40 flights of stairs at the Metropolitan Building, downtown St. Louis. I was the last of our group to reach the top (24:23). Garrett, Mary, Joel, and Diane all beat me. They were all in much better shape then I was, yet it had been my idea to form a team, join the event, and support the American Lung Association.
I did five 5k's in 2012:
Make Tracks for the Zoo
O'Fallon Firecracker Run
JCC Labor Day Run
Hunger Run
Stampede for Stroke (my parents' first 5k!)
I ran/walked all of them. In November, I unexpectedly saw a good friend at the start of the Hunger Run. Michelle suggested that we run together, and even though I tried to talk her out of it, saying that I'd hold her back, she insisted. I was already consistently running one mile at a time, and the farthest I'd ever continuously run at that point was 1.5 miles. The 1 mile marker was my personal reminder to feel out of breath and nervous about pushing myself, and to take a walking break. Michelle obliged my usual walking break, and proceeded to coach me through my insistence that I needed another walking break. Instead of walking, we slowed to a jog, kept up the running form, and lowered my panic. Once I realized I could catch my breath without walking, we sped up again. I ran farther continuous than I had before. Michelle not only showed me how to pace myself, but proved to me that I could have more endurance than I had previously believed.
My favorite running place is Creve Coeur Lake Memorial Park, with a 3.75 mile paved loop around Creve Coeur Lake. One early December evening, shortly after Michelle's inspiration, I was determined to jog an entire 5k, without walking. Joel came with me to Creve Coeur and walked alongside me while I jogged the path. I jogged the entire 3.75! For Christmas, Joel bought me a pink Garmin Forerunner 10 GPS watch, which tracks pace, mileage, time, and calories. Being able to glance at some numbers and know whether to slow down or speed up has helped me push myself even more.
Next milestone (get it? that's a pun about running) was the Commitment Day 5k... by myself... on January 1... early in the morning... downtown... while it was 26 degrees and icy outside. I signed up for it early on, then tried to talk people into joining me, but no takers. When my alarm went off that morning, Joel had already left for work. No one was depending on me. It was cold outside. It was cold in the basement where I was cozy and comfortable under an electric blanket. Deep down, I knew that my whole year depended on that day. Was I going to give up or push myself? So I crawled out of my nest, dressed warm as possible, and drove downtown. When I pulled into a parking space on the same block as the start line, I realized I'd left my mp3 player at home. Cold, icy, alone, no music... and the temptation to turn around and go home. George Sheehan might say that I became a runner when I put my name on the first entry blank. Before that morning, I'd have said that I ran and that I did races. But for some reason, getting out of my warm car and completing that bitterly cold and hilly race confirmed in my mind the reality: I am a runner.
I went on to do these races, for a total of nine in 2013:
St. Patrick's Day Run For The Helmet 7k
Celebrate Life 5k (held at Creve Coeur Lake; photos below)
Ferguson Twilight 10k (photos below)
Superhero 5k
O'Fallon Firecracker Run 5k
Run Like A Hawk 5k
Hunger Run 5k
Kirkwood/Webster Turkey Trot 3Mi
