Today I set a new one mile PR. The fastest mile I've ever run in my life (as far as I'm aware). My previous PR was set in high school when I was a decade younger and a good 25 pounds or so lighter, so I consider this feat rather impressive. I did a double fist-pump when I hit the mile mark and heard the time in my ear over my music.
I don't like running when I'm actually doing it, but once I'm done I think to myself, "Yeah! Yeah, that was good! I feel great! That was fun!" So, in short, while I don't think I'll ever "love" running on the same level that some people do, I have a new appreciation for it. Definitely.
That's the short version of my response to my Bucket List item. If ya want more details, read on.
I've never been a runner. In years past, I might have even claimed that I hated running. As I more or less said before, the last time I "officially" ran a mile (before this year) was my sophomore year of high school. Yeah, it's been a while.
In an effort to increase the variety of exercise I engage in, I decided to make one of my "30 Before 30" items running-related. My first run occurred back in early April, and it was.....sad. I intended to run a mile and see how long it took me, and I felt a little embarrassed when I saw my time at the end. It was nearly 3 minutes slower than my still-not-too-impressive PR I set many years ago. I had some work to do.
Over the summer, I wasn't very regular with my runs, so I decided to increase the stakes. Even though it wasn't part of my bucket list requirement, I signed myself up for my very first 5K race... and thus, my incentivized 3-days-a-week running regimen began. I cross-trained with other forms of exercise (usually a short Barre or Pilates session in the kids' playroom) the other 3 days with my rest day on Sunday.
I still remember the feeling I got when I ran a whole mile straight without having to pause to walk and catch my breath. Some of you reading this may think "One mile straight?! Noooob." but for me it was a triumphant moment. I've never done that. Never. Not even in my younger days. Maybe I did it when I set my PR in high school, but I don't remember.
I was very excited for my race - The Haunted Half/5K - and as luck would have it, I woke up two days before the race with a full-blown cold. I was sure that my race experience would be negatively affected by being sick, but by Saturday I was well enough that it was only slightly more difficult than usual to run. I still remember jogging along with music flowing through my earphones, distracting myself by observing the costumes of all the runners around me, and suddenly I had hit 1 mile. And I kept running. And then I hit 2 miles! 2 miles straight?! And then I got a side cramp and slowed to a walk, and MAN it is SO hard to get back into a running grove once you slow down to walk (plus the cramp kept coming back) so the remaining mile was switching back and forth between jogging and walking. But I made it over the finish line a minute faster than my goal! AND I was in the top 1/3 out of all the female runners, so... woot woot!
Props to Doug for running with me, even though he could have finished SO much faster if he'd gone at his own pace. It was fun, running with him.
^^^Not the most flattering picture, taken close to the 3 mile mark. ;)
It was very satisfying to finish that little 5K and to see that I can do things that I never thought I would. When I first ran in April, 3.14 miles seemed like a ridiculously long distance. Now I'm like... let's start training for a half marathon! 13.6 miles, let's doooooo this!!! Ha. Not this year. It's getting too cold; I don't like running when it's freezing, so my running habits will probably die down over the winter. Besides, none of the other races sound as appealing to me as the Haunted Half does. October + Halloween + running, sounds good to me!
But for now... more 5K races! I did my second race just last week on Thanksgiving morning, and I beat by previous 5K time by a minute and a half. Progress and improvement, little by little! And there were way more runners this time (over 1,800) but I still finished in the top 25% for women.
Anyways. You guys. This has been a good experience for me, in more ways that one. I feel like my mental endurance and ability to push myself has increased. I would definitely check this bucket list item off as a success! And I fully intend on joining in on more races in the future.
My "30 Before 30" list can be found here.
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