Well, I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Today was my 5K Race. My husband Mike and I got up before the sun rose, drove to Oak Park, IL, arriving by 6:30 AM in anticipation of my first fitness goal coming to fruition. I am so incredibly fortunate to have support in my life. In addition to my husband, two friends from grad school, who are far more fit than I, agreed to walk the Frank Lloyd Wright 5K by my side in support of my efforts. Another friend of a friend joined us. She had a similar goal of simply completing the 5K as part of a rehabilitation program in her own life.
The race began promptly at 8:00 AM and we were off. The runners were placed first, then runners with strollers, walkers, walkers with strollers and dogs. A 10K run was scheduled to begin at 8:45 AM and a Youth 1 mile run started at 9:00 AM. The walk went along very well but I quickly started to notice how slowly I was walking in comparison to others. I had not really noticed until I saw a group of older ladies, one who had to be well into her 80s, walking with us within the first mile. I remember thinking that it was great that they were participating in a walk at their age, but then I realized that I was at the back of the pack. In fact, we had a motor escort in the rear. I mean, we were dead last. Even the old ladies had moved ahead. (They had an unfair advantage though, one of the older ladies had walking poles and the 80 year old quit after 1 mile). I started to feel badly about my place in the pack, regretting all the years of poor choices, no exercise and wishing that I had gotten a clue sooner. There were so many things that were entering my mind about my bad habits, but one of my friends gently reminded me that the 5K was not about that for me. My walk goal was about finishing a 5K without feeling paralyzed. He reminded me that each of us has our journey within different times, and that this was my journey. It was not a day of regret, but a day of celebration of accomplishment and of a new phase in my life.
I adjusted my goal. I set a new mental goal for myself. I would feel better if I did not get surpassed by the 10K runners who started 45 minutes later than we did. (I didn’t realize that goal had to come to fruition as the 10K path took a turn at one point and even the fastest runner would not have finished the course in 20 – 25 minutes.) We were approaching the finish line at about one hour, six minutes when we saw the runners from the Youth Mile Run turning their last corner to the finish line as well. Thousands of encouraging parents and grandparents stood along the sides of the street as the kids finished their race. These were true runners in training as they approached a 7-minute mile. I was impressed by their enthusiasm, speed and excitement about their run. Our group crossed the finish line pretty unobtrusively. While there were lots of parents cheering the kids on, we didn’t have anyone waiting for us when we crossed. We had each other. My friends and I crossed with a final time of about 1 hour, 9 minutes. I was tired, but not so much that I could barely figure out how I was going to get back to my car. My friends and I shared breakfast and fellowship together at a local restaurant and the camaraderie that comes with this shared experience.
Now, it’s time for a new goal. My workout goal is to continue to work out consistently a minimum of 3 times per week, building to 4 in the next two – three weeks. At that point, Suzanne, my nutritionist and personal trainer, will work with me to really design a plan to optimize my workouts. In addition, I think that I am ready to set my first long-term goal. I am giving it thought, but upon achieving my 10% goal (30 pounds), I will set my first long-term goal on this blog.
Thank you, readers and friends, for your support, encouragement, prayers and helping hands as I continue to pursue a healthier lifestyle. It’s been a good day . . .
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