What Happened On Saturday When I Ran A 5K

Oh my word, y’all! I can’t even believe I’m telling you this. I’m so excited and shocked!

After running the color run at the end of September, Ernie and I signed up for a local 5k that we’ve run a couple times before. It’s an enjoyable run in the historic district of a nearby town. Usually the “Frosty Freeze” is in December, but they bumped it to November for some reason. Ernie was bummed because he had less time to train.

Me? Not bummed at all because…confession…I don’t run. Like ever. Except when I see a spider or a snake. Or when my husband ropes me into it.

I was happy it was earlier, so it wouldn’t be as cold. Humph. Boy, was I wrong.

On the way to the Frosty Freeze on Saturday, I was a little grumpy because it was SO cold and I’ve been feeling a bit unmotivated about exercise in the past couple of weeks. Ernie was like, “Seriously, you are going to do this. Stop thinking that you can’t.” I might have rolled my eyes a little bit and I said, “Okay, babe, whatever you say.”

{This was at the starting line with Katie. She is a dear friend of mine. She did a hard thing on Saturday and finished the race strong! She’s on her own beautiful journey and I’m just so proud! :)}

At the starting line, I stretched and then I strapped on my phone with RunKeeper at the ready.

The horn sounded and we were off.

I was feeling chilly and my fingers and toes were too apparently. They were numb.

At the one mile mark I looked at my phone and saw that the time said 8:50. I was so confused. I thought it would at least say 10 minutes. At that point, I determined that RunKeeper was broken. Dumb.

So I just kept running. I did what Ernie taught me to do – run fast down hills to take advantage of gravity and lean back to stretch out side cramps. It totally works. I didn’t get a debilitating side cramp like I usually do when I’m running a 5k.

I finally warmed up around mile two and it felt so good to breathe the crisp air with the sun shining down on me and the clear blue sky was just perfection. I was glad then that I hadn’t worn a sweatshirt.

I came around the last bend toward the finish line and I had to run up a long hill. I had a 9:14 minute mile pace on that last mile. I was still confused because historically my most comfortable pace is between 11:00-12:00 per mile.

Then I saw the finish line and the clock. It said 28:00. What?! My face must have looked so funny because I was floored. I didn’t even have the energy to sprint, so I just kept running. I crossed the finish line at 28:19:09!!!!!!

I started crying because I could NOT believe what had just happened.

Ernie and Jacob (our brother-in-law) had finished before me and they were thinking they needed to start watching for me and I was already done!!

The newspaper photographer captured this moment. Awwww!

My best 5k time was the Color Run in September and I finished in 31:10.

When I crossed the finish line on Saturday at 28:19, that’s a 2:51 improvement!!!!!!! I’m still trying to wrap my brain around that one.

Ernie and I BOTH won 1st place in our age group for male/female divisions. Seriously? Oh my word.

Do you know what else is so amazing? The difference that 4 years make when you’re trying to improve your health. I know some people think we are weirdos and we make weird choices about our health and fitness, but the proof is in the pudding.

On the left, 2010. On the right, 2014.

If this is what aging looks like, bring it on! Haha!

Our hearts’ desire is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.

Getting healthy and making good choices isn’t ONLY about body image, being attractive or anything like that. I think those benefits are the cherry on top. By being our best selves physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, we can bring the most glory to God by fulfilling the duties He has given us to our absolute best ability every single day.

If I feel bad or sluggish physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually it absolutely effects my performance as a wife, mom, daughter, friend, small-business owner etc. It just does. Period.

Maintaining healthy weight with exercise and the food choices I make will be a big part of my life for the rest of my life. There will always literally be ups and downs. But it’s all about making good choices today in this moment. Those hard choices pay off.

Clearly. 

Now I wish I had run faster because I know I could have!!! I guess I will be signing up for that 5k in December Ernie has been wanting me to do with him. Haha!

Do you run? Have you run a 5k race?

xoxo

Myra