My First 5K

I ran in my first ever 5K last night!

I've never been a runner.  In fact, I have always hated running.

Then Jenna and I decided to start running together last year to start conditioning for soccer season.  We'd walk a block, run a block, walk a block, run a block.  I'd be ready to head back to the house and she'd want to keep going!

Jenna was my motivation.  Not only that, the running has been an excellent opportunity to get out of the house, WITHOUT THE BOYS, and just be together.  Sometimes we'd talk (me more breathlessly than she) and sometimes we'd just listen to the sounds of our feet on the pavement. 

Most of you who know me, know that I turned 40 last year.  I have a good friend who took up running when she hit the big Four-Oh (yes, Hilary, it's your fault).  Anyway, I was inspired by her indignation to shift into cruise control when she hit that milestone.

I have another college friend (Hey Amy - O-H!) who, self-admittedly, is not the "athletic type" and she did her first mini-marathon last year when she turned 40.

With all of these people around me, some of whom had no prior running history, I decided that maybe I could do it too.  So last year, I committed to running my first 5K in 2011.  I've done a 5K twice before, but it was more of a fast, social walk than anything else.  This time, it was just me and I really wanted to run it. 

And I did.  There were several fast walking breaks here and there.  It was raining (and sometimes pouring!) during the entire race.  But I did it and no, I wasn't the last person across the line.  And I beat the goal I had set for myself by almost 15 minutes.  This is proof that I didn't have nearly the confidence in myself that I should have had.

Why is it that we so often under estimate what we are capable of?