Amy's Running Story - Part III

Hi, again!
So in Part II of my running story, I talked about training for my first 5K and running my first hash.  If you missed that post, you can access it here.

My good friend and workout buddy Tory graduated in May and began working full time.  We still met up to run during the end of summer, but as the school year started, I was more or less on my own.  It was tough, and still is, trying to get into a workout routine, but I still tried to keep running a couple times per week.

In September, Tory, her boyfriend Spencer, Jesse, and I did a 4K called the Donut Dash.  Those competing in the Dash would run 2K, eat a dozen donuts, then run another 2K.  We, however, were casual participants, and we only ate half a dozen donuts between the four of us.  We donated the rest.  We ended up completing the run in about 35 minutes.

The Donut Dash

Finally, in October Jesse and I participated in the Monster Dash out at Roca Berry Farm.  The 5K started at 7:30 in the morning, which is pretty early for me.  It was tough getting up at 6:30 in the morning when it was still pretty dark out, and I was unsure about going for a run that early, but I was hoping for the best.

Me at 6:30 in the morning!

It was chilly when when arrived at Roca Berry Farm, and I was glad I chose to wear a long-sleeved shirt.  We gathered behind the starting point and listened to some information about the race.  I jumped in place and kept moving my feet to keep warm.  Finally, we began to run.  It was tough at first, but after a while, I got into a comfortable rhythm.  I turned to Jesse and said, "I think I can do this," by which I meant, "I feel like I can run an entire 5K."

Now, this is something I had been training for since May or so.  I had planned on running the entire 5K when we did the Color Run and then again at the Donut Dash, but it never quite happened.  I never felt comfortable enough to just keep running.

But the day of the Monster Dash, I felt like I could just keep running.  I decided early on that I was going to run the entire thing, and I stuck with my choice.  The first three-fourths of the run went pretty well.  Then during the final quarter of the run I started feeling tired and ready to fall over.  But I kept going.  I remember thinking to myself, "You made this decision, and you will just be disappointed if you don't follow through."  I told Jesse that I was beginning to burn out, and he asked me if I wanted to stop and walk, but I hardened my face and just said, "No."

We came around a bend and I could see the finish line.  There were no markers along the trail, so the entire run I had no idea how far I had gone or how much longer I had to go.  When I finally saw the end, I had to work hard to hold back the tears.  I picked up my pace and flew to the end.  Then I burst out crying.  I was also completely out of breath, so I was gasping and wailing and generally looking ridiculous.  I said, "I can't believe I ran the whole thing!" as the volunteers tore the tab off my race bib and recorded my time.  (I later found out that I finished in just about 33 minutes.)  Jesse gave me a big hug and told me how proud of me he was.

To me, this accomplishment means so much, because I never thought I could run.  Even when I was a cheerleader and running regularly, I didn't think I could run.  I also never thought I would WANT to run.  Just the fact that I willingly signed up for a running event amazes me.  I did something that I never thought I could do.  Part of it was physical, but a huge part of the training and racing was also mental.  I had to learn to think positively and push myself (and stay positive while pushing myself).  I had to stick to running regularly and avoid being disappointed by the "bad" run days.  I had to be patient with myself and give myself time.  I had to learn to be comfortable with myself and not get caught up in how far or long my friends could run or how long it took them to get to that point. I have learned so much from running.

I think this winter, I am going to back off on my running a bit.  I still want to continue working, and I plan on doing some interval work with running once or twice per week, but I want to concentrate on other activities, such as weight lifting and yoga.  Then in the spring I plan on signing up for another 5K and starting my training again.  Then maybe a 10K... or a half marathon...  We'll see.