Lighthouse 5K

Crossing the finish line (Ignore the senior citizen who finished before me -- there were more)


Although place doesn't really matter to me yet, I finished 117 out of 169, my total time was 41:01 and my average mile pace was 13:13 (although that's a normal pace for me, seeing it in print, it seems unacceptable to me)


Handing off my number so they can place me


First I want to say, congratulations to Erich, my big brother who won this race -- his first 5K win. I'm very happy I was there, and proud of him for beating his personal best to win.

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I take a big sigh as I recline in my comfy chair this morning. All the weeks of preparation, one week of sickness, and one week of almost giving up, and it's all over.


It was a beautiful day for jogging. This was my earliest jog logged to date, as all of mine have been evening, with the exception of my 2 mile Easter run which was afternoon. There were not as many people at the starting line as I expected, but it did not look like 169 people to me. Erich wrote a great summary of the pre-race atmosphere at his team's blog at http://www.piedmontvelosports.blogspot.com/.

Here's a brief summary of my race experience.

I lined up very near the back of the pack. Back with the nervous first-timers, the older folks, the girl in tight jeans and makeup who looked like she would have been much more comfortable at a party somewhere, and commented before the race, "I used to run, but I just don't LIKE it" (infer whiney voice).

When the "go" command was given the entire pack in front of me, and a few folks from behind me took off. I was actually surprised by the ratio of people who were running as opposed to walking. I have walked a 5k before, and there was a much bigger group of walkers. I resisted the urge to take off with them, and kept my fast walking pace for the first song on my Zen. At the end of the song, I also took a big sigh, because I knew this is what I had been working for, and was still not confident in my ability to jog the entire way (that light house was waaaaay off).
But I did keep up my jogging pace to maybe 40-50 yards from the lighthouse. There was a tiny hill leading up to the lighthouse that got me (it's the same tiny bump in the road we laughed at on our way in the car). But I had already been coaxing my legs to keep going for at least the past mile, and I just couldn't make it up the hill.


Over the hill and through the sweat, to the finish line I trodded. Until I noticed a race figure walking back toward us. "That's probably Erich, no it couldn't be Erich, his hair is too big, but maybe he's coming to encourage me, if it is him, he's going to see me walking, but I just can't feel my legs right now, so jogging is not an option" And it was Erich, with his camera -- so I began jogging again, refusing to be captured on film walking. He gave me a high five and an encouraging "Keep going!" And I did, for about 20 more seconds when I just gave out (up?) again. I probably could have picked it back up and suffered greatly for the last .4 miles or so. But honestly, I felt like I had done my part, I wasn't very interested in jogging any more that day... until I got to where the folks at the finish line could see me of course.

And I did pick it back up at the finish line and jogged in smiling. It was a great experience. And if I hadn't gotten sick, and had back problems and energy issues that one week, I might have made it the whole way. Although still very, very slowly.


Future

And that brings me to my future goals. I know I have lofty goals about running a marathon ONE day (and probably much more than 5 years from now), I have a lot of work to do.

I told Erich that running/jogging for me is like him trying noodling (google it). I'm underwater, not breathing, flailing around sticking my arms into mud holes searching for a giant fish that wants nothing else than to get away from me -- or bite my arm off, all the while someone is holding my feet to make sure I don't drown. It's dark, muddy, scary, and thrilling all at the same time.
I know as much about running and exercise, as he does about the strange sport of Noodling (which I believe he had only vaguely heard the term before I mentioned it).

But I'm learning, by getting out there, and by reading. I'm an information junkie, and the more I know intellectually, the more I love what I'm doing.

Jill suggested my next training be to start back at the week I got sick, and go on from there. That is good advice. But I'm going to take it one step further. I'm going to start from the beginning. I'm going to start back with running one minute and walking one minute. Only this time I'm going to RUN. Now that I've found the fish's hiding place, and I've got one hand in his mouth, I'm in a better position. I'm not so worried about making my distance goal, I'm not worried about a date, I can run and make it hurt. I've got all the time in the world now, and I'm going to use it. And from what I read, if I make Monday and Wednesday my hard running days, and slow down a bit for a distance run on Friday, next time I'm interested in a 5k, I should be able to jog (or run?) it much easier.

I do not expect to ever compete with anyone but myself, but I think that I should be able to reach and sustain 10 - 10:30 mm. From where I stand, I see that pace being my max with a max distance one long off day being a half marathon (being the epitome of my running career). But that perception may change. I remember not that long ago thinking how impossible running a mile seemed. (And honestly still makes me cringe a little)

It's like Samantha told me weeks ago, "If you can do this, imagine all the other things you can do"and to quote scripture in a completely out of context way, I was "seeing through a glass darkly", but now understand completely what she meant. At first, I thought, running is running, but I am just bubbling inside with the possibilities of all the things I can do now.

And to bring the entire experience full circle, I started with the idea that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I now have to give credit to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and the great and awesome Father God. If I do anything for personal gain, it is for naught, but in all things to Glorify Him.