After my first 5K....OOPS, I meant accidental 10K...

See, what had happened was!!!!! LOL!

So, I was in Atlanta to run my first 5k and I was ready.  The atmosphere was exhilarating and I was pumped.  There were so many BGR women and supporters, you couldn't help but feel the love.  And after a weekend filled with shopping, eating, mingling and many BGR! socials, the race was an end cap to a great fun-filled trip.

I arrived at the race @ 6:30am, only to make numerous phone calls to other Charlotte BGR friends so that I didn't have to at least start the race alone.  Once I found them, we were all excited and ready to go!  Being among thousands of women, and a few men, all there for the same reason was truly amazing. So, after taking numerous before photos, chatting  etc... they were ready to start the race. =)

The race started @ 7:30am and we were off.  Myself and four other BGR Charlotte ladies started running together.  We were running smoothly for the first 20 yards, but then there were obstacles.  I found myself bobbing and weaving through numerous walkers, which was no easy task.  After dodging @ 50 of the walkers, and stumbling numerous times, I thought to myself "Why don't these darn walkers walk to the right!!!".  I mean that's common courtesy!  Let us runners through!   Five minutes into the race, because of these obstacles, I lost my running buddies.  No big deal, I run a lot alone and I was on my own mission.

So @ two miles into the race came the break-off point between the 5k and 10k runners.  Apparently, there were people shouting directions, which I couldn't hear because of my headphones.  There was supposedly also a sign with arrows pointing direction for the runners, which I didn't see because of the hundreds of people in front of me and the sign not posted more than 5 feet in the air.  All I heard someone say was "5k" and when I looked up, I saw a gentlemen pointing left which I assumed was for the 5k runners.  But I would soon find out that the person who yelled out "5k" wasn't the same person who was pointing!!

OK, so the left turn I made was an immediate hill!!  I thought then, OK this is one of a couple of hills we were warned of by the Atlanta BGR ladies.  No biggie, I take hills training!  On the hill, I looked at my GPS tracking system and it said that I only had 1 mile left and I was happy.  So I just kept running.  And a mile and half later my GPS tracker announcer came on saying that I had been running for 35 minutes.  What!!  I immediately knew something was wrong because I would have been finished by then.  I looked down at my phone and saw that I was at 3.6 miles.  What! First, I thought maybe the distance is a little over 3.1 miles because when I run with my regular groups we always run more distance then we thought we were, so I just kept running.  However, when I finally was becoming fatigued and saw the 4 mile marker a few feet ahead, I started talking.  I turned to the lady next to me an said "This is the longest 5k I have ever done!"  She started laughing and said "Girl, this is the 10K.  You missed the break-off point almost two miles back."  OMG! I started to panic, and I'm not sure why.  I should have known something was wrong when I didn't see anybody I knew on the route.  But I knew I wasn't turning around, Oh no, I was too far into this 10K.  There was nothing else for me to do but finish.  The Atlanta BGR ladies who were running around me were encouraging me, saying that I could do it, and it was meant to be etc... However, at that moment, I wasn't trying to hear all that, I was just in shock.  But I eventually sucked it up and continued and their words kept me going.  Let's keep in mind that I didn't train for the 10k, and I was not prepared.  I think I stopped and walked a total of 3 times along the way, but the walking stops were no more than 30 seconds long.  However, I did slow my pace down dramatically to adjust to the additional distance and hills.

At the 5 mile marker I received a phone call from my traveling buddy, who also ran the 10k, wondering where I was.  Heck, I was supposed to be at the finish line already cheering her in, but I guess when she finished her 10k in 1 hour 9 minutes and I was no where to be found, she got worried.  And YES, I answered the phone.. LOL!  We couldn't do anything but laugh at the mishap.  So after hanging up, tackling over 8 hills that I actually counted on the 10k route and one being a monster hill at the very end, I was finally rounding the corner into Atlantic Station towards the finish line.  I was met by my traveling running buddy who sprinted me all the way to the finish line.

I was exhausted!!  I had pushed my body to a distance it had never been, and wasn't ready to go to, but I was OK.  And even though my time was 1 hour 21 minutes, I felt it was good enough for someone who wasn't even mentally or physically ready to run a 10k.  I had originally signed up for the 10k but after not preparing my body, I changed it to the 5k about a month before the race.  But I can now say that I ran a 10K and I feel great about that!

So what's next for me?  First, I need to run a 5k to get it under my belt.  Then I need to train for a 10k and improve on my time.  I'm just competitive like that.  Next year I will be doing a Triathlon and who knows maybe a half marathon is in my future.....

This experience has been great and it has been a pleasure to share my journey with everyone.  From the couch to 5k program to my first 5k oops I meant 10k race, it has all been worth it.  I'm just going to continue being healthy, become even more fit and encourage others to do the same.  I already have several of my friends doing runs in Charlotte and in other states and I will continue to recruit so we can battle and win this war against obesity.

Stay Strong and Fit Ladies!!!!

1 Week til My First 5K

I have made it ya'll!!!!

In exactly one week and two days (next Sunday), I will be in Atlanta, GA to run my first official 5k race... WOO HOO!!

To say that I am super excited, would be an understatement.  After all the struggles, the mental and physical doubts, and that little voice in the back of my head that kept saying "What the hell are you doing!", I have persevered!!

Thirteen weeks later, I am a runner!

And yes, you heard right.  I am now doing the 5K, instead of the 10K.  I have prepared my body to run a 5k, therefore, running a 10K would not have given me positive results.  Sometimes you have to go with what you prepare for because trying to do too much too fast can stifle your progress and sometimes end your desire for something if you do not succeed.  Failure doesn't necessarily makes everyone stronger, sometimes it makes them quit altogether.  And if you are like me, and have never really enjoyed distance running before you began running again, it's always smart to start at the beginning.

My mind is already in Atlanta.  I already have all my clothes laid out for packing.  Got my funds ready for spending.  And all travel and lodging arrangements are finalized.  There is no turning back for me!  Even if I was to sustain an injury (fingers crossed), I would still be in Atlanta regardless.  But I keep all negative thoughts out of my mind.  I keep my mind focused on the prize, which is crossing that finish line.

My goal is to run the entire 5k, hills and all, non-stop in personal record (PR) time.  It's what I trained for!   It's not about coming in first, or the top 5!  It's about doing my best.  And I think that's every runners goal, every time they hit the pavement.  A runner wants to always out-do what they have previously done.  Whether you are running for charity, competition, or just for fun, you are chasing and most likely trying to conquer your prior PR.  It's what drives me during my runs.  That run programs voice who is constantly in my ear updating me on my miles, calories burned, and average pace, is what pushes me to increase my speed a little faster and run a little longer.  It's that constant auditory motivation that keeps me focused, keeps me yearning for more miles and keeps me on track.

How am I preparing for my first 5k?  I am continuing to do what I have been doing since I began this journey.   I continue to eat regular healthy clean foods.  I drink lots of water and continue to drink Gatorade after long workouts for hydration.  I take care of my body by getting plenty of rest.  I ensure that I stretch my muscles thoroughly before and after exercising.   And stretching has always been my nemesis, because I used to bypass it because I had no patience.  I thought it was a waste of time.  However, my body, in a not so nice way, reminded me that it's necessary!  I continue to cross-train by doing a lot of cardio classes and I also ride my bike as well.  I am ready mentally and I am ready physically for this 5k.

So if you are still on the fence about getting off the couch, gain some courage and reach out to your local BGR! group.  If you don't have a local group, join the closest city to you and someone will get you on the right track and guide you every step of the way.  Start moving, start getting healthy and you will begin to feel good about all aspects of your life.  When you have a great self image of yourself, it radiates to all other aspects of your life.  I am proof!

Ladies and gentlemen, I am Atlanta bound, and I am a runner!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!