First 5K

I wrote this a while ago and finally feel like I can post it...

I started training for my first 5k about 8 weeks ago and this past weekend was the BIG race!!!! Well, okay it is only a 5k, but to me it is more than that. It was a goal, an accomplishment that I wanted to achieve so badly. I always told myself, "You're just not a runner." Well, it was time to prove myself wrong and I was ready on Saturday to say, "I am a runner and I did it."

Unfortunately, I woke up Saturday morning with a forecast of rain, this obviously was not in my favor. I got dressed and ready for the race anyway and headed on my way to Forest Park. As soon as the car was put in park it started sprinkling and the clouds were getting darker. I got out of the car and headed to the start line and by then it was coming down. I stood there with my husband and friends for 30 minutes before they canceled the race due to unsafe weather conditions for the racers. Utter disappointment set in.

Everyone wanted to go get our medals for the race and I was so confused. Why do I deserve this medal? I didn't complete the race and I didn't want a medal saying I did. It would have made me feel shame, like I was saying I did something that I really didn't do. Chris got me a medal anyways and told me that I deserved it for all the hard work that led up to the race. That was what was important. I stuck with the training and I worked hard to get there.

We headed back to the car and went back home. I kept saying over and over again in the car how disappointed I was. I just wanted to be able to finish something that I started. I trained for 8 weeks and I was ready to prove to myself that I could do it and that I stuck with it no matter how hard it may have been at the time.

The more and more I thought of this, I have come to the conclusion that even though I didn't go through the motions of actually running in Forest Park for 3.1 miles, I did with the it and I could do it on my own. I don't need to sign up for a race to set a goal for myself. I can accomplish this on my own. I am going to go ahead and run my 5k and I can tell myself, "You did it!!!"

Here we are pre-race.

Chris with his medal, soaking wet.