why run?

seriously.
why at 35 years did i decide to run?
i have never been a "runner"
my sister has always held the runner status in our family
i remember watching her cross-country meets
and thinking she was absolutely CRAZY!
why would anyone EVER CHOOSE to do that to themselves?
runners rarely look like they are enjoying the process
my running was limited to hopefully getting around the bases in softball
ha!

but tonight
here i am
nearly giddy!
i've been committed to treadmill training since the start of the 2011
strictly using the c25k (couch-to-5k) plan
and it works!
January through March was strong
the month of April was tough
training was completely derailed with Davis' seizures, and my cold and fever

BUT, i kept pushing through
and ran my first 5k on Saturday, April 23
it's my favorite route
mostly flat elevation:)
my goal was to run the entire distance - no walking breaks
well, that didn't happen
first mile was into a stiff wind
and when we turned the corner onto a short gravel stretch
I WAS DONE
absolutely positively had to walk, or the finish line wasn't in reach
finished it in 38:52 personal best
i never said i was fast ;)

SO then i knew it was only 10 days until the next 5k
took a few days to recover
getting back into treadmill training was rough!
felt like there were heavy weights on my ankles
but Monday night, i convinced Avery to training the route with me
and I DID IT, went the entire distance without any walking
pretty sure i had a brief little dance-party for myself on the town square
Avery wasn't overly impressed
since he hadn't even broke a sweat
but then i EXPLAINED to him what i had just accomplished
and he finally gave me a weak "good job mom"

tonight was the night
the 2011 Klompen Classic
gun-time started at 7p
and i finished it at 7:39:14
NO WALKING
and feel like a ROCK STAR!!!

i wore my black Teaming For Wellness t-shirt
that on the front
boldly in yellow
says
I decide.
on the back of the shirt it says
What is exercise? I decide.
To play soccer. To take the stairs. To walk with the kids. To run. To swim. To take an aerobics class. To stretch. To hike. To play tennis. To walk the dog. To jump. To run a marathon. To bike. To jog. To skate. To tap dance. To play touch football. To play volleyball. To do pushups. To walk more briskly. To mow my lawn. To do Tai Chi. To kickbox. To bike to work. To lift weights. To play basketball. To walk on a treadmill. To do an exercise video. To jump rope. To walk at the mall. To play with the kids. To work in the garden. To get a personal trainer. To take a fitness class. To rake leaves. To ballroom dance. To play softball. To do yoga. To skip.
I decide.

the key is do something
eat better, move more
my dear friend Jaime reminds me that
"healthy eating [and exercising] is a privilege, not a punishment!"

running a 5k
that was something i had never done
probably never thought i could do
because i'm still overweight
and i had a bad knee
and i'm too busy to train
and what's the point
and...

a magnet on our fridge has this quote
"if you are looking for an excuse, any one will do"

i finally stopped making excuses

and little did i know that there were cheerleaders surrounding
waiting for me to come off the bench
enthusiasm is contagious!
and the "runner" crowd is full of encouragement
overall winner of the race is rarely the goal
it is so much about personal accomplishment
i am just as excited about my 39:14 as i am about Avery's 23:04
that was his personal best!
and i'm equally excited for everyone that made the personal decision
to train
to run
to finish strong!

i think the klompen route is especially challenging
you may think Pella, IA is flat
until you have to run UP Broadway
and UP East 3rd going south
and UP East 3rd AGAIN - this time going north
and finally going UP East 2nd - yes, i audibly cursed this final slow climb

i'd be lying if i said i didn't almost give up and stop running
my time was going to be slow
why not walk?
why not?
because that is not the decision i had made and trained for!
that's why not!

this was a challenge that defied the hard-wiring within me
i thrive under pressure
procrastination brings out the best from my brain
but this body was not hard-wired to run
procrastination was not an option
it required i make/find a plan (which isn't natural for me)
and stick to the plan
at a regular/dependable time of day
which for Jan-Mar turned out to be 5a
and this late late night owl
had to get to bed before the 10p news started
weird!

and now as i reflect...
totally worth it!

and when i didn't feel like training
and when i felt like walking when i needed to be running
i thought of people who have inspired me
people who have been dealt life challenges
that they didn't choose
that they didn't have time to prepare for
that didn't have a clear finish line
and the pictures of their faces
in my mind
inspired me
to keep running

and i'll wrap with this quote i heard at the conference last week
"start where you are, use what you have, which is more than enough"

I decide.
my next 5k is Saturday, June 11