5k.

On May 1st, I ran my very first 5k.

I'm in the pink tank top below running between one of the young women in our ward, Bethsi and one of my best friends Lisa on the right. Our Church hosted the community family fun run and 5k on a Saturday morning and it was awesome. There was a large turnout and everyone was happy to be there. Perfect way to start the weekend.

I completed the run in 31:28. I didn't have a goal. I just wanted to finish in the middle. It was the longest I'd ever run and I'm most proud that I never stopped. Not only did I complete it but I proved something to myself, that I could do it!

Lisa and I after finishing. Stretching after the race. Katherine and I, right after she told me I was "old." I talked about running the 5k for weeks, but never committed. I don't like to run. Not really. The best part of running for me is when I am done. I like the feeling of accomplishment. Not to mention I'd never run more than two miles at once and that was on the treadmill at the gym where I have someone to watch the boys.

I also didn't want to fail. Back in college I attempted a 5k in the cold. Not a good idea for a girl with cold weather asthma. I made it maybe half mile before quitting because I couldn't breath. That kind of failure doesn't leave you. Maybe it's pride, but I didn't want to fail again.

So Friday night comes, the night before the race and I'm still wavering. Run, don't run, run. Then Lisa calls after 10 pm to tell me if I wanted to run she'd come with me and run. What? Really? That's friendship. She's never run one either and just last fall we'd both talked about running one together when we "got in shape." I hung up the phone and then Mike gave me a pep talk. He was with me for my last attempt. His pep talk was the extra push and went something like this, you are in the best shape of your life and I KNOW you can do it, so do it. I called Lisa back, made arrangements for the boys and to meet her in the morning and went to bed.

I woke up eager, excited and nervous. Funny huh, all that for a mere 5k at the church. But to me, that seemed like a long way to go in front of friends and people I knew. If I failed here, everyone would know.

The race starts and I feel good. Hit a mile, tah-dah, I can do this. I had great running partners and there was a small breeze to keep us cool. Mile two, thinking to myself, you can do this, don't stop. Almost there, run faster, finish strong.

It's been a long time since I've felt truly accomplished. Life is different staying home. Accomplishments aren't as easily measured or acknowledged at times. What's a better accomplishment than running through an actual measurable finish line. This was good.I needed this. I pushed myself, did better than I thought I would and at the same time proved to myself that I could be a runner.

Now, don't go thinking that I've turned a new leaf and want to run marathons. Because, let me clear that up... no way! But I did enjoy the 5k and that, yes that, I would do again. But this time I won't do it unless I get a shirt.In celebration of my first run, I took my race number (got a discount with it- whoop, whoop!) down to Luke's Locker, a local running store and bought (with my birthday money from my mom that I'd been hoarding for just the right thing) a new pair of running shoes. Now, I can't wait to try them out and add some miles to the soles.