My First Race

Wow.

If you would have asked me a couple years ago if I would ever consider myself a runner, I would have laughed at you, came up with some bullshit about being worried about my knee and tried to change the subject. Well, that was a couple years ago.

As per my last post, I have begun running. I like it. It's tough, and sometimes I am gasping for breath, really wondering how I am going to move one foot in front of the other yet one more time, but it's totally worth it.

I like the challenge, I like how there are so many ways to measure improvement, that you can always tell whether today was better or worse than the day before. I love how it is outdoors, and bad weather doesn't necessarily mean being stuck inside.

Today I ran my first 5k race. It was a humbling experience to see how fast most of the group ran - I was in the last batch of finishers, that's for sure. It was amazing to see the guy in front, sprinting his way to the finish line, and to see the women pushing their baby strollers.

Despite the struggle, I loved every minute of it! I did manage to learn a thing or two:

1. Always charge the Ipod the day before;
2. Wake up a few hours before and eat oatmeal;
3. Post-run hotdogs are a good idea;
4. Have a variety of clothes to deal with weather changes;
5. Meet people; and
6. run with someone else if possible.

I am sure there will be lots of lessons in the future!