I’ve been trucking my way through Couch to 5K with the calm sense of accomplishment I can only derive from having a strictly delineated itinerary. At first, I could barely jog for two minutes without huffing and puffing, but over the weekend, I pushed through a twenty-minute stretch and, lo, I did not die. Hooray! Sure, my face was beet-red, sweat was streaming down my face, and I would have promised my hypothetical first-born child to the inventor of a full-body deodorant, but I did it. I ran for a longer stretch than I ever had before, and I even managed to sprint for the last minute. My “sprint” was more like hauling my sorry carcass up that last hill with every ounce of strength I had, pumping my arms as fast as they possibly could go, but I say that counts. I covered 2.5 miles between my five-minute warm-up walk and the twenty-minute jog! The wobbly legs and Lamaze breathing I sported on the way home were a small price to pay for the glowing satisfaction.
With my schedule of repeating each week’s workouts for two weeks, I calculated that I’d finish around the end of October. I could take advantage of fall weather with half-hour jogs every other day while I researched treadmill workouts for the winter. No problem. Good for me, right? Yes. Here’s a pat on the back, self!
We received a flier in the mail for the annual Mushroom Festival, and JG informed me that there would be a 5K run/walk during the event, you know, in case I was interested. My brain immediately threw itself a whirlwind. What if I was awful? What if I was the only obvious amateur? What if people got annoyed at my belabored breathing after one mile? What if the walkers overtook me? Besides, that race was on September 7, way before I was scheduled to have the requisite endurance. This race was not on the itinerary!
Oh, but it was only fifteen bucks to register, and there was a free t-shirt in the deal. What the heck? I sent in my registration, wincing all the way.
As if I couldn’t get any more nervous, my parents confirmed that they are coming down that weekend to go to the festival, and by extension, witness my first 5K. I figured that they’d join JG in the cheering section, and my dad would take pictures of me looking terrible and sweaty at the finish line. Uh, right. My dad, the half-marathon-training, Runner’s World-receiving, sneaker-collecting distance runner was going to simply observe? No way, man.
I received a e-mail this morning in my dad’s brief style:
RA - I am interested in the 5K. What pace are you planning to run?
DAD
I responded:
HA. I believe the technical term is “as slowly as possible so that I can run the whole time.” If I don’t stop to walk, I’ll be happy, so don’t feel the need to run with me!
That is, please don’t run with me! So help me, I am running a 5K at a festival for fungi in less than two weeks with my dad for a free t-shirt. Unbelievable.
13 comments
I’m sure you’ll do great! Once you get going with all the other people, it’s no problem at all… If you can run for 20 minutes, you’re more than halfway done already!
I have been wanting to start running, but had no idea where to start. Couch to 5k sounds sounds like what I need. I think I might try it out.
I know I’ve encouraged you on this before. In April, I was the exact same way. I prematurely signed up for a 5K before the program said I’d be ready, but trust me, you will be. Just don’t worry about your dad. Do your own thing and you will be proud of yourself and what you’ve accomplished - YOU GO GIRL!!!!
Congrats on registration! You will do great
I just registered for my first race as well. And I just gave you an award on my blog. Thanks for being an awesome writer!
Wow, congratulations! I am such a wuss when it comes to jogging (and exercise in general!) so it’s always nice to read posts like this one - ones that make me feel slightly bad, yet enthusiastic about “what could be”. Maybe I should don my joggers and go for a run!
This is going to be awesome. Go you for breaking away from your itinerary and pushing yourself.
OK, you’ve inspired me to pick up the damn pace. I’m doing the couch to 5K plan too! In fact I did my 20 min this morning and posted about it. But dang, I guess I am jogging at a snail’s pace because I didn’t even get so far as a mile and a half! Good job!!!
You can do it! You and your dad are going to wipe the road with the rest of the participants.
That is very exciting, though I definitely understand your nerves. I know you will rock it, though, because you are awesome like that. Best of luck!
Oh man. I so wish I wasn’t flying out to my home-away-from-home for work, because then I’d also run this 5k and pine after a race t-shirt that will hopefully have a mushroom on it! I’m so excited that you and Dad are running it together! Just take it slow and concentrate on finishing. That is what I do every time I work out and somehow it all ends up okay.
Randomly, do you think the mushroom will be a simple button mushroom? Maybe they’ll do something like a shiitake or portabella?
Good for you!! I think this is fantastic, and I think you will do just fine.
Congrats and good luck!
xox
Congrats on your progress and registering for a 5K. I’m sure you’ll do great. It’s your first one ever so you’ll definitely get a personal record.
That’s always a plus. I’m running a 5K that same weekend… but don’t hate me for writing in my blog that it’s “only” a 5K so I shouldn’t be worried…
Oh and one more thing. Don’t worry about looking like an amateur runner. I’ve run in a lot of races and trust me, you will look great. I think you’ll surprise yourself.
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