Maybe you are new to running. Maybe you ran in years past but want to try again. Maybe you just want to read a blog post on running a 5k, no judgment here, everyone needs to start somewhere. This is the story of running my first 5k.
The first question you need to ask yourself is, “why should I run a 5k.” I don’t think there is a good answer but knowing your “why” will help keep you motivated. For some it is a way to lose a few pounds, for others, a chance to spend some time away from people and devices. Since this is my blog, I will go first and tell you why I ran my first 5k.
I actually ran 2 first 5ks which isn’t actually possible but I will explain. The first was never meant to be part of a larger running plan, my son was in a Montessori preschool and as an annual fundraiser, they had organized a 5k race. I was a local business owner and was one of the sponsors, a perk of which was a free race entry. As mentioned before, my son is a natual born runner and he “trained” with me. By trained I mean he ran next to me, talking the entire time while I gasped for air. I don’t think I ever even ran 3 miles until the day of the race, this is not the way to train for a 5k!
This first of 2 first 5k doesn’t really count in my book. I did finish and may have even placed (it’s a really small race!) and I was sore for several days afterwards. There was no plan and there was no commitment.
My Second 1st 5K
My interest in running was piqued about 6 months before my actual first 5k. My son was in middle school and was in the running club. As part of the running club all of the schools in the district participated in a spring 5k that runs through Colonial Williamsburg. The race is early in the morning and spring in Virginia can be unpredictable, this year is was a very hot race morning. My son was the only one who raced that year. I stood near the start line and as the runners passed, I felt an overwhelming mixture of emotions. I was brought to tears by the ROTC and military runners leading the race, many of whom held American flags as well as the wheelchair and stroller athletes. There were waves upon waves of kids, elementary, middle and high school all running together. I guess it was the together that got me. I felt so isolated and an “us and against the world” mentality that I was envious of people who were participating as a group. I was jealous of the runners. Proud and envious at the same time. I wished that could be me.
“I can’t run, I hate running, the last time I ran was when they made me run a mile for the Presidential Physical Fitness Test in high school, my organs aren’t well attached to my abdominal wall and they jostle too much when I run.”
I had repeated those things to myself and to others for so many years that I truly believed them. I also thought I was in pretty good shape, not overweight and I walked a bit, sometimes I even did a You Tube yoga video!
It was in the fall 3 years ago that my son brought home the flyer for the winter race in which the school participated. In a half joking way I said we should all run it. We signed up. We paid our monies and I put on what I thought were running shoes and headed out the door.
Which brings me to me feet. I had been having foot pain, likely from a neuroma, for a few years. The only shoe that seemed to help was the Ryka Graffik, super light weight and good arch support. This is what I started running in, today, this wouldn’t make it though a month of my running but at the time, it was good enough. You don’t need fancy shoes to get out there and get started! I ran in these shoes for several months before changing to a minimalist shoe discussed here. We live in a neighborhood with many hills, out house is at the bottom of one of those hills, it is a half mile of a steady incline from our house to the top of the main road. I made it about a quarter of a mile, I have no idea what my pace was, I wasn’t tracking my pace, my time or anything I was just putting one foot in front of the other!
My family laughed a little at me, I was more out of shape than I wanted to believe (did I mention I had just turned 40?) but I walked up the rest of the hill, turned around and ran back home. Downhill. I had about a month of what I will call practice because to me training implies a plan and there was no plan, only survival. My only goal was to finish. I may not have been in the best shape but I am very stubborn and perhaps too prideful, I would finish this race.
I have suffered from insomnia most of my life, mostly due to anxiety. I was so anxious leading up to this stupid 5k, I know it wasn’t the Olympics but I was really afraid I wouldn’t be able to do it. I slept little and poorly and woke up very early. It was freezing outside, literally freezing rain, about 30 degrees and sleeting. I knew from other parents that there was a lot of standing around outside before the race so we opted to leave the kids at home and head to the race ourselves. Miserable, cold, wet, nervous. I wasn’t sure what to wear, how many layers? How do I pin on this number? This all becomes important around mile 2 when I am so hot I am trying to take off my outer layer, which I have pinned to my inner layer, while running since I told myself that I wouldn’t stop no matter what. I planned to take it slow and steady and finish this race.
My husband and I huddled under the hospital carport to escape the wind and did some stretching, when it was time to line up, we left our coats near the breezeway and headed over. They had little signs for your anticipated time, I lined up in the 30-35 minute spot. I remember little about the first mile, it was kind of surreal to me, “you are actually running in a 5k, you are really doing it!” There was a a turn around near the 1 mile mark and as I headed back the other direction, I was surprised by how many people were behind me, despite my very slow pace.
I tend to run hot. I get really hot when I run. I didn’t know this yet and had put on gloves, ear muffs and 2 layers of long sleeves. Even at 30 degrees, this was too much. After the 2 mile mark, I pulled my outer layer over my head, while holding my phone and my not cordless headphones, wriggled one arm loose and discovered that I was pinned by my number to my inner shirt. I am still not sure how I undid all of this, I was able to free the pin and I must have repinned the bib, though with freezing fingers I think I only managed to get 2 back on. I tied my sweatshirt around my waist and pressed on. My husband later marvelled that I was able to do all of this while running and holding the above mentioned phone and headphones. I don’t know, as a mother we figure out all kinds of ways to get out of a jam. The good news is that all of this undressing and phone holding distracted me from the feeling that I was dying so it brought me another half mile closer to the finish line. As I made the final turn into the parking lot towards what I thought was the finish line, I was so disappointed to see there must be another parking lot loop to go as I couldn’t see the finish line. All I saw was another hill. I stopped for a second, then I heard my husband yelling, “Don’t stop the finish is just around this corner!” I wiped the snot on to my sleeve, mopped the rain from my eyes and pressed on. Though I had planned not to stop, I forgave myself, I had tried my best and finished the race. My time was a 32:35, a 10:31 mile pace. I placed 275 out of 575 runners/walkers. I was amazed to have been in the middle and impressed with all of the people coming out in this awful weather to do this thing together. I was part of the group, a crazy group of people raising money for Habitat for Humanity, cold and wet together.
I was looking back at my Runkeeper activities and I didn’t start using the ap until the week following this race. But I got right back out there and ran regularly despite the holidays and inspite of the weather.
My next race was even colder, taking place in the beginning of February 2018. My goal for this 5k was to be under 30 minutes. This race also featured a large uphill in the beginning, but as I had been running a similar hill from my house, it didn’t seem so bad, plus I got to finish on a down hill! My time for this second 5k was a 29:05, a 9:23 pace. I had shaved over a minute per mile in just over a month.
I tried to run every other day, usually 2 to 2.5 miles. I do not like to run on a treadmill so unless it was below 25 degrees or ice/snow on the ground, I ran outside. Being outside is probably what I enjoy most about running. I feel like an animal on the earth not a human in a cage. I know a lot of people need to run on treadmills due to work/family/weather issues but it takes much of the joy out of running for me.
My 3rd 5K,
At the beginning of this post, I talked about the mixture of joy/envy/pride I had watching that group of runners from all walks of like running in unison. This year, at the same race, on a beautiful and not hot spring day, I found my place with the people.
If you haven’t visited Colonial Williamsburg, you should. It is a unique place of living history, both in architecture and landscape. I love running here. Having a backdrop of the interpreters dressed in colonial garb next to the William and Mary students and the elementary student field trippers and tourists provides endless people watching opportunities.
The race begins adjacent to the William & Mary campus, winds through the campus and finishes on the historic Duke of Gloucester St. Williamsburg in the spring is beautiful and seeing everything come alive is invigorating. This time I was not a spectator, I was part of the messy, loud throng!
My Runkeeper clocked this course as a 3.2 (which it has in subsequent years) so I think it is slightly longer than a 5k, my time was a 27:54, an 8:44 min/mile pace. Nearly 5 minutes faster than my race a few months earlier.
The last 3 years hasn’t always been easy or fun. I have had my share of foot pain, wardrobe malfunctions and less than optimal performances. I haven’t yet run a 5k where after the first mile I am not vowing to never run again. Without fail, once the race is over, I am at the reception table picking up flyers for the next race. Running has brought me emotional peace, a sense of pride in my accomplishments I haven’t felt since my school days and shared experiences. with my family.
This is the story of my first (second first) 5k, In my next post I will give my unsolicited and likely unhelpful advice about running your first 5k!
