This weekend was my 5K! Although I had planned to run the marathon relay, a whole slew of events prevented my partners and I from running it, so I signed up for the 5K instead.

Following Christa's lead, I set three goals for this race:
30 minutes as a difficult, but possible time (best time on a training run was 29:47:17 but that nearly killed me!)
32 minutes, which is just under my average run time of 33 minutes for 3 miles.
34 minutes...easily doable...should be no sweat.

I actually came in at 36 minutes. This wasn't a "diamond day", as Christa would say in terms of time, but it was a GREAT day for me. I had a lot of fun. I really loved being out there and running...I just enjoyed myself...I never wanted to give up, I never had to stop and walk and I smiled like an idiot the whole three miles! So, all in all, I am happy and couldn't care less about the time.

I remember Christa saying after the Dowd half that she felt that she had done so well because she had tried to run in the moment and not become overwhelmed by the miles ahead. I prayed at the start line...for Christa and Kris (Nicki had told me he was running) and the other full/half marathon people...and I prayed for myself, "Lord help me to run smart and not become overwhelmed. Help me to remember that this day is a gift from You and to enjoy it." And I believe that He did help me to do that!

I got up that morning and had my quiet time. The text was very applicable for me. It was talking about God's Word as a truth serum and how anything is possible if we trust in the promises of His Word. Christa told me a while back that she prays while she runs...she dedicates one mile of her long runs to each person that she knows in need of prayer. I tried this myself back in September and found that original thought is difficult for me when I run...that I get distracted and off pace. So one day during a challenging part of my run I started thinking in my head, "I can do this because the Bible says that I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me. In my weakness, He is strength and though this may be impossible for me, it is not impossible for God. He is faithful to answer when I call and He will help me see it through!" That was the start of me quoting scripture in my head when I run. At first it was just when I was struggling and over time it became almost constant. I think this is why I ran with a smile on my face on Saturday...I was recalling all those treasured scriptures that I have stored up in my heart over the years.

I was nervous on race morning. I hadn't slept well the night before or the night before that. And I was sick and had a fever. I was also nursing a twisted knee that I acquired on Wednesday while trying to get out of the way of a falling tree on the greenway. I threw up around 7 am, right after I found a parking place. I'm sure the bystanders thought that was great. My tummy was in knots and I just didn't feel well, but I started heading to the start line. I knew that I was dehydrated so I was trying to drink alot, even though it was COLD...26 degrees when I left the house.

I made it to the start and found Christa and her family almost right away. I think Christa was nervous too, because she didn't say much, which isn't like her. I was excited to be able to see her off on her race and then Matt and the rest of the fam and I said good-bye so that I could go into the Convention Center and strip layers and line up for my own race. I met a nice chick in the starting line and she and I chatted about our total lack of skill...and then suddenly we were off!

I was trying to pace myself...I have a tendency to start off too fast and then die a mile in. I was timing myself so that I could keep track of where I was in terms of MPM, but if there were mile markers on this course, I never saw them. That stressed me out for about the first mile and then I thought..."Cast all your anxiety on Him, for He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7) and then I was OK. After that I just sat back and watched the miles go! It happened way too fast. Before I knew it we were on the final UPHILL homestretch and it was done! I knew by the last half mile, that I would not meet my 32 minute goal, but that didn't phase me. I just kept running and finished strong.

When I first began running back in July, I hated it! And I thought Christa was crazy. But I really have cultivated a love. I'm not the fastest runner...or the best...but I'm happy when I run. And if I miss a day, I am miserable. I just love it. It doesn't really make sense to me, but I can't really agrue with it. It just is what it is. I probably could have run a better race. But I treasure the words of Paul that say, "Not that I have already obtained all this, but forgetting what lies behind, I press on toward the prize..." This race is done. And I press on...I already have races scheduled for next year and I start training tomorrow for a half relay in March...I think the word is "obsession"...one goal right after another. I guess that makes me crazy too, but I'm cool with that.

The only thing that I really would have changed is that I would have been less conservative the first two miles...I was afraid of over-doing, but I think I under-did it. (That is so not a word...) When I run on my training course, I check my time every quarter mile to tell me if I am going too fast or too slow. If there would have been course markers, I would have known by mile I was running sub-par and could have compensated by being a little less conservative on Mile 2. I really have to get one of those handy little satellite gadgets that Bree has...

I saw Matt after the race and he asked how it went. I told him I was chalking this one up to experience. And I did learn alot. Like...

~The course that I train on is more difficult than need be and probably hurts me more than it helps me.
~I would leave the gloves at home. My hands were freezing at first, but about a mile in the gloves were off and tossed in a bush in front of some medical office.
~Wear my sunglasses. I debated between taking them or not and left them at home. This was a mistake. We ran into the sun the first two miles and I worked up a headache!
~Attach my chip! Duh! I am such an airhead sometimes.
~I had made a PB sandwich to eat on the way to the start, but forgot it in the car so I ran on an empty stomach. This is probably why I felt so sick and jittery. I often run without eating, but I know now that I really need to try to be better about this.
~But the most important thing that I have learned from running is this: I just need to relax and enjoy it. I don't have to be perfect; it is enough that I simply try my hardest and do MY best, whatever MY best is and not try to compete with anyone else. This has a real life application for me. I am a people pleaser and a perfectionist and I let insignificant things stress me out. But if I would just let it go, I would enjoy life a lot more. And hey, at least I tried! :)