Many of you know that running is not my thing. I prefer my booty to be planted on a tiny bike seat pedaling to my hearts content. So when my mother asked me to join her for a 5k run on Thanksgiving I was a bit hesitant. “I haven’t run in years!” I wish is was a lie, but it wasn’t. The last “run” I did was an 8K Runnin’ Over the Green Spring of 2012. I spent my summer riding just about 1,000 miles, and kickboxing as cross training. Running sounded a bit painful, but I could not pass up a chance to race with my family. One of my biggest accomplishments as a trainer has been to get my family excited about exercise. So OF COURSE I wanted to run with them.
How do you know if you can still run a 5k? I probably wouldn’t recommend it, but I laced up my shoes on Monday and went for a run. I also don’t know my way around my parents community of Elk Grove, but I did know how to run to grandma’s house 1 mile away. I figured 1 mile there, a quick hello, and 1 mile home would get me started. It felt great! I know, I know I’m not a runner, but that was fun! So fun in fact, that I didn’t want to stop. Now that may have been a bit of adrenaline and endorphins, but I believed I could do more. I took a bit of rest to do some strength training on the TRX I hung in my parents garage and then went for a sprint finisher. I went another mile alternating each block sprinting and jogging. Whew! I was wiped, and by the end of my sprint intervals my problem hip and knee were reminding me of why I do not make running a habit. I practiced, now I knew I could do it.
I did a bit of extra cross training that week and a whole bunch of foam rolling. Stretching my hips and lets to insure that I did not get too tight for the race. I also fueled up with a bunch of home cooked meals. It was probably the most activity I have ever planned for a race week.
Pre- Race Group Selfie!
Thursday morning comes along and I am up and ready. Had a quick egg and toast for breakfast and threw on my halloween costume. What better way to re-use an anatomy stretchy suit than when running a 5k?! My parents lived about a mile away from the race site, so we decided to walk. I knew it would warm up so I braved the mile of walking to help me warm up. I was pleasantly surprised that by the time I was lining up for the race, I knew running in a tank top was the right decision. No layers needed in CA!!! I put my headphones in and waited in an obnoxiously long line for the porta-potty. I lined up for the race with my family and we were off! My grandmother, mom and dad all walked the 5k, but I started to slowly jog in the congested bottlenecked crowd headed toward the full course. Luckily my iPhone had my back because it was playing my ultimate de-stress and pump up song. “Shake it off” by Taylor Swift. I picked up my pace and broke free from the crowd. Since I hadn’t run a 5k in so long I was having a hard time gauging the mileage. I just kept a maintainable pace and go re energized every time a new song started to play through my headphones.
I keep a fast pace because I know my husband will be waiting at the finish line and I haven’t seen in in a week. I do however save up my energy because I remember having to finish the race with a lap around the outdoor track. I turn the corner toward the track…and there was the finish line! What?!?! You mean I don’t have 1/4 mile to go??? I told my body to KICK IT UP A KNOTCH! My name is announced as I came closer to the finish line followed by “all the way from Bellingham, WA!”
Not flattering, but real life action shot! Coming up to the finish line!
Courage Run Finish Line!
I finished the 5k in less time than I had imagined I didn’t have my exact time, but the running clock said 27 minutes. Wow, that is fast for me! I collect my snazzy medal and head toward the relief station. I skipped the water station to see if I could save a bit of crowded mess, and I was parched!
My husband immediately found me at the food/water table. I got some quick nutrition in and then found a good viewing spot to wait for my family to come across the finish line. I see my dad round the corner. My mom shows up quickly practically dragging my grandmother behind her. They saw the finish line and they were MOVING! We snapped a great post race picture and then remembered we had to walk all the way home!
We even got medals!
HA we made the 5k into more like a 8k. We slowly walked home to prepare for our Thanksgiving with our larger family. I headed straight to the foam roller to make sure my legs would relax enough that I could wear the cute heels I packed.
That was a way to keep up my fitness while at home with my family, and it supported a great cause. This Turkey Trot 5k is part of the Courage Run group that supports survivors of local sex trafficking operations. They have a Courage House that brings in women and girls who have been abducted into the operation and gives them a safe place to recovery and re-enter society. The local Courage House just bought a big plot of land and plan to build several extra housing facilities on it. Their current house is already filled to the brim and they need extra space. I thought this was a great cause, with a great tag line on their T-Shirts “RUN…so they don’t have to” I had fun and gave back to my community this Thanksgiving and I couldn’t ask for a better start to my holiday.
What are some of your traditions with your family this holiday season? Do you donate food, money, time? Do you host a coat drive or gift box operation? Do you invite extra people to your dinner table to celebrate with you? There are so many ways to give back this season. I suggest you find the way that moves your soul and keep on giving. When you think you have given enough, give just a bit more. There are always more people in need and there are so many ways to help. Have a fantastic beginning to your December!