5K Fun

NEVER would I have thought I would put the words 5K and Fun together.  

Running is for skinny people…Running is for people that are good at it.  Running is NOT FOR ME.

I ran in the Dexter Ann Arbor 5K on June 2 and rocked that bitch.  

I went to the expo to get my registration and bib number the day before…because I am a fair weather runner and if it’s raining I’m not running.  So I generally wait until the day gets closer before I register…Negatives to this include a LAME bib….No colors or fancy writing that says the race name and date, AND It’s easy to wuss out and not do it…BUT I’d been spinning my ass off and logged some decent mile times on my short runs so I wanted to see where all the work had gotten me because that lying whore of a scale hadn’t budged passed 190 in two weeks.

Also at the Expo I got the MOST AMAZING head band EVER.  It says Run now-Wine Later….

SO bib, check.  Kick ass playlist, check.  What else do you need? An amazing hubby that gets up with you at the ass crack of dawn and helps get all 3 screaming kids loaded in the car to drop me off at the start line and then take said kids to the finish lie in down town Ann Arbor to cheer me on.  Yes…that’s a MUST.

After Hubby dropped me off at the elementary school where the staging area was I had about 45 minutes until start time.  45 minutes to pee, recheck my playlist, and THINK about the run…as I thought I got more and more nervous.  I had a goal….that I knew I could EASILY reach…I KNEW I could run that bad boy in 35 minutes or less.  CONSIDERING my first 5K after having Max was just shy of 40 minutes….I felt like 35 minutes was a good goal.  HOWEVER…

I had a bust ass goal…a goal that I knew if I pushed it to the limit I could get under 33 minutes.  If I faced all my fears I could do it.  Fears? My biggest fear is walking. I.DO.NOT.WANT.TO.WALK. PERIOD. 

So I called my friend…who happens to be one of the running skinny hookers I’ve spoken of before…she talked me off my cliff…reminded me how hard I’ve worked…you know..said all the right things from the comfort of her house………………………………………………………………

I started heading towards the start line…Turned on my music…and the runners high started.  The goosebumps…the elivated heart rate…..and finialy the tears.  It’s how I roll at the start of any race…..and by any I mean the 3 I’ve done…….But it also happens on REALLY good runs.  Same thing…goosebumps…heart pounding…and tears. Why? Because I am so so so so so proud of the things I’m doing. How my life is changing…so proud. Even if I housed half a bag of twizzlers today…see how I snuck that in there all sneaky like………..

 I send this pic to my sister.because I wish so so bad she was closer so we could do this together but pictures and text messages are the next best thing! Note creepy guy……………. worry about your shorts not matching your shirt bud.  Not my picture.

I’m standing at the start line….with the lyrics HHHEEEEEYYYYYY SEXY LADY pounding in my ears..The gun shoots and we are OFF.  I just start running. Not really thinking…Just running. And for the first time in my life…I FEEL like a runner.  Not a jiggle jogger…a runner.  

I let the beat of the song move my legs and just ran.

There was a lady next to me at the start line that looked like a LEGIT runner…almost skinny hooker runner type…and I passed her…WHAT?!??!?!? Where’s the 80 year old I kept pace with at my last 5K????? My next song kicked in which is one of my FAVORITE songs right now. Feel this Moment by Pitbull and Christina Aguilera and I did just that.  And kept RUNNING.

I came down a medium hill and saw tables…hm…tables? That usually means a water station…which usually means we’re at a mile….My second song was just finishing…There’s no way….I round the corner and BAM WAM HOLY SHITOLI there’s the one mile marker and a  ticking clock above it.

My time.

At one mile.

was………………………………

9:05!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And I cried. CRIED!!! A m-effin 9:05 mile!?!?!?!?!??

THAT’S SKINNY HOOKER RUNNING PACE IF I’VE EVER SEEN IT!!!!!

And yes I cried.  Why? because 3 months ago when I first started running again…I cried because it took me 15 minutes 30 seconds to run a mile.  And now I’m running a 9:05. That.is.progress.

I kept running.  Kept feeling the beat. And started to do the math in my head.  I could finish under 30 .NO…don’t think that.  There’s no way. Mile 2 crept up almost as fast and I was at 20:15….Holy SHIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTT. UNDER 30?!?!?!?!?!? MAYBE!?!?!??!

And then…the last mile started with a BITCH of a hill.  You know is going to suck when you start the climb and look up and see more walkers than runners.  But there is no walking in my game plan.  So i just.kept.going. 

and going.

and going.

To the summit.  Hallelujah.  

Then I look up and guess what!?!? No not the finish line………another hill…just as big. Crap.  Come on music…play louder…Titanium was NOT a good song for me on this hill….

But I kept going.

And FINIALLY made it…I knew the finish line was close and I knew my amazing hubby and sweet babes were there waiting….I had visions throughout the race of me crossing the finish line and having to sit down and feed Tyler right away.  That would have been an awesome picture for the bfing blogs!

When I got close enough to see the clock…I was a little sad. the goosebumps stopped…the tears didn’t start…It said 33:30. SHIITTTTTTTT. 

I know I said my goal was under 35. and I crushed that. But really…deep down on the far far inside my goal was under 33. 

As I walked towards my hubby and the babes…who were all just dandy fine with their amazing Daddy…I put it in perspective.

First 5K after Max: 39.24

First mile after having Tyler: 15:30

Fastest mile pushing Max: 10:48

TODAY: Finished officially in 33:34

AND RAN A FRICKIN 9:05 MINUTE MILE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then…the goosebumps and tears started. 

P.S. I need new running shoes…Those bad boys are circa 2008.