I Did It!!!

Yesterday I ran a 5K (3.1 miles) – it was the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Race for the Cure. In Minneapolis it is held on Mother’s Day at the Mall of America every year. The 5K run started at 7:30am. Believe me when I tell you I am not made for running that early in the morning. My friend Todd drove up from Des Moines to run with me (Thank you thank you!!)

It was pretty chilly out (windy mostly); I started the race in a jacket and then tied it around my waist once I warmed up from running. The first mile wasn’t bad at all, by the second mile I was definitely feeling it. The third mile, I started to think about quitting. I had to stop just into the third mile and walk for a minute or two, and then I made myself keep going. Just when I was at my most tired I thought of my Grandma Adams, who several years ago with diagnosed with breast cancer. I thought of the physical and emotional pain she must have gone through, mostly alone, since none of us women in the family could TRULY understand what she was feeling, not having experienced the same thing. It made me start to cry, right there in the middle of the third mile.

Let me tell you, crying while running is not the most productive experience. If you’re already having to concentrate on breathing, crying is not going to help. I literally could feel my throat closing and my breathing became audible. I finally managed to quell the tears and breathing got easier. By then I was nearing the home stretch!! About half a block from the finish line I thought Let’s finish this thing and I ran fast, all the way to the finish line, where all the silly runners were just standing there, forming a solid wall of sweaty yuckiness. Todd and I walked for a while once we pushed through that crowd, till I got oxygen back into my body. He on the other hand barely broke a sweat! No fair, huh? He has earned bragging rights, though, running 20-25 miles a week, just because he likes to.

Today I am SO sore. The whole bottom half of my body hurts! I’m going back to the Y tonight, though, and am going to plunge right back into my workouts. Judging from the pain I’m in today, there are several spots that need massive amounts of work!!! J