In fulfillment of my commitment to run one 5K a month until
I can run one in 30 minutes or less, I participated in the Athleta Iron Girl 5K
in Clearwater this morning. I have been
a little worried about this run since I learned the route was up and over the
Clearwater Causeway Bridge. I didn’t get
a trial run in this week due to a busy Mommy schedule which aided in increasing
my anxiety. I set a goal of finishing in
at least 45 minutes which is about 7 minutes more than my normal time. I thought for sure those inclines were going
to slow me way down.
As I began to run, I started my Easy 5K with Jeff Galloway
app. I know it’s pre-recorded and this
may sound corny but his coaching has helped me a lot. He reminded me that I needed to take my walk
breaks early in the race so I could finish strong. Don’t worry about the people passing
you. Run your own race. So, I shut everything out, listened to my
tunes, and tried to relax into it. My
finish time was 38:39! This is almost
exactly the time I got for the Eagle Lake Classic 5K last month, which was a
relatively flat course. |
| My super supportive family! |
I ran alone today but it’s the first time my family has come
out to cheer me on in a run. As I jogged
towards the start line, seeing my girls, husband, and father-in-law there to
wish me well was a huge motivator. My fiercely
independent daughters were watching their mom run just for the joy of it, just
for the wellness of it. It’s important
to me to show them they can conquer anything.
Today that was a huge bridge! And
NOTHING has ever made me feel quite so cherished as hearing them cheer for me
as I sprinted for the finish.
