C25K accomplished ... but not complete

Last Sunday, I did something that just a few months ago I never, ever would have thought I'd find myself doing.

As I've talked about before, I got motivated to support breast cancer research back in July in a way more meaningful than just cutting a check. A family friend had recently been diagnosed. My aunt and grandmother both survived it. I decided to run a 5K for them.

I used the Couch To 5K program which, for the most part worked well. Confession: I didn't actually get up to running 3.1 miles non-stop like the program says you will. I took two speed walking breaks in between. My best time that I was able to get to on the treadmill was around 41 minutes.

A few days before the race, I created a playlist on my iPod and timed it out so that it would last me the whole race and so that I knew when I could take my walking breaks. I ran with it once on the treadmill before the race and it seemed to work well.

The day before the race, I decided to try running outside for the first time. Boy was this a bad idea. It was a little cold and windy and I didn't dress well for that. My throat began to hurt because I was breathing in air that was much colder than I was used to. I couldn't establish a good breathing pattern. I gave up, feeling defeated and beginning to psych myself out about the race the next day. I decided I'd try to be happy if I could finish the race in under 50 minutes.

Getting ready for my first 5K!

On Sunday, my fiance drove me downtown to the start of the race. I knew there'd be a lot of people there but I had no idea it'd be more than 19,000 people. When the shot gun went off, it took 5 minutes for me to actually get up to the starting line from where I was standing in the crowd. Having never run in a 5K before, I wasn't really sure how to get started ... do I just push past all the walkers? But as soon as we cleared that starting line, people behind me starting running past on the sidewalk so I followed.

Soon, I found a couple that were about my age that were running at a pace that seemed similar to the pace I wanted to go so I stuck behind them. I took a few walking breaks but whenever I did, I made sure to find them back in the crowd and catch up.

The first mile was actually a little rough, but by the second, I started getting into the groove a little more. Before I knew it, I passed the 3 mile sign on the side of the road and as I rounded the corner for the final stretch to the finish line, I heard some familiar voices, looked up and saw my fiance, mom and dad cheering me on. It was amazing that out of a crowd that big, I was actually able to see them and feel their support.

As I neared the finish line, I saw the clock switching over to 41:00. Which seemed right on par with my treadmill speed when I realized ... it was 5 minutes off! I just ran my first 5K in just a little over 36 minutes! I couldn't believe it. But the iPod proved it as well since I had 3 songs left on the playlist that I never got to.

This was actually the starting line, but my fiance wasn't able to get shot of me near the finish line since I was going to fast!

It felt so good to finish, and especially good to finish at a much better time than I thought I would. Even more than that, it was amazing to see so many people supporting and raising money for a cause that has affected so many people.

I'll definitely be doing it again next year and am also going to keep my eye out for more 5Ks next spring.

Also, there's still time to donate if you feel so inclined. The fundraising program for the race ends October 31. Thanks to everyone that donated ... I far exceeded my fundraising goal!