Chasing Joy Across the Finish Line

I did it! I did it! Can you hear the excitement of my words??? Yesterday I did my 1st 5k Run. That’s right I said run. Not a 5k walk but a run.

When I first started Chasing Joy over a year ago one of the first thing I put on my Devil’s Workshop list was to be able to run 3 miles non-stop. This may be easy for you seasoned runners. But for me, a non-runner with a good amount of weight to lose this is a challenging goal.

Last year I Walked for Joy doing several 5K walks with friends and got familiar with the distance. As my friend and I watched the runners race past us towards the finish line we said “we should run this next year”. That’s exactly what we did!!!

We started training in February meeting every week to take on the treadmill.
Eventually I upped my training to include some running outside. I dug deep in my pocket and spent more money than I’ve ever spent on a pair of sneakers. I’m talking 3 figures here $$$

After several weeks of training my stamina still was not there. I was doubting my ability to run the entire distance. I was regretting having registered and even more so I was regretting having made a public commitment to myself and my friends to run the race. I wrote here of my regrets and you responded with comments here and on Facebook with words of encouragement. You told me not to be concerned with running every step of the race, make it my own race and not to be afraid to do run /walk intervals. So run/ walk intervals it would have to be.

One life lesson I have learned from this experience is that it is OK to adjust your expectations or goals. So I accepted the fact that I would not be accomplishing my Devil’s Workshop goal of running 3 miles non-stop with this race and shifted my focus to doing my absolute best and running as much of it as I could.

The day before the event I reached out to friends for advice on what to do or not do before the race. Here are some of their awesome tips:
– Drink lots of water
– Get lots of rest including two nights before the race in case nerves keep you up the night before
– Bring a camera
– Smile and throw your hands up crossing the finish line
– Know you are only trying to beat your own record
– Wake up earlier in case extra potty time is needed because of nerves
– Wear clothes and shoes you have run in before
– Eat a healthy meal the night before that includes a baked potato
– Go slower than you think you should the first 5 minutes
– Have fun

I took in all the great advice and then it was off to the races. I was filled with a mix of fear and excitement up until the horn sounded to start the race. Then it was one foot in front of the other. It was REALLY REALLY HARD. But I just kept going. I ran as much as I could and then I walked when I needed to catch my breath. I used the clock on my heart rate monitor and never walked more than 2 minutes.

It was great doing this with my friends. Three of us ran and two others walked. The fastest of us slowly pulled away. I stayed focused on her pink shirt ahead of me until I could not see her anymore. The race route had us turning around at the halfway mark and continuing back on the same street. I got a little energy boost as she passed me headed to the finish. Another boost as I passed my other running friend on my way to the finish. And yet another boost as I passed the walkers. All of us encouraging each other.

When I got close to the finish line I picked up the pace. I had to finish running. I looked for my mom and my friend who was ahead of me and. I found them as I crossed the line and through my hands up and smiled. Hands up reaching for Joy. A genuine smile of happiness because I was done. The race was over and I DID IT!!! It was an emotional moment for me and I teared up. This is without a doubt the hardest thing physically I have ever done. I’ll be doing it again this fall as I continue to work on my goal to run 3 miles straight.

I finished in 47:35 and came in 982nd place out of 1108. I Chased Joy for 5 Kilometers and captured a bit of Joy as I crossed the finish line.
What is the most difficult thing you have ever done, physical or otherwise and did you capture your own bit of Joy???

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