5k: Check!

Yesterday my husband and I ran our first official 5k race. I had mentioned earlier that he had signed me up as my mother's day gift, and ever since I've been training my butt off. The race was scheduled at night and it had been raining all day. I could hear my own voice in my head trying to talk myself out of it just hours before. "Ehh, it's too cold and wet. Why don't you wait to do one on a nicer day? You're really not feeling that great anyways. Plus you have a headache." Even my husband was sleeping on the couch just an hour before we were supposed to leave. I could have easily just left him sleeping.....

But then all those weeks of running at the gym, running outside, running with the jogging stroller, and running after my child would have been for nothing. I set a goal and I was determined to finish it! So we were off, in my waterproof Columbia jacket and Red Sox hat. We dropped the baby off with my parents (who questioned whether we were actually still going to run the race), and headed to the park.

After registering, getting our numbers, and peeing in a very unsanitary port-a-potty, we were more than anxious to start. When they announced it was about that time, we started following the group to our presumed starting line. I didn't think anything of it walking down this huge hill to the bottom, until we all stopped and I realized that we actually had to run back up it. Yesiree, the very first 1/10 of a mile or so was up a huge frickin' hill.  I was not prepared for this!

The whistle blew and the crowd all began bolting it up mount everest (yes, I'm exaggerated). I seriously thought I was going to die. I couldn't breath and my legs were already burning.... and I still had three more miles to go! We got to the top of the hill and thankfully started jogging on a flat surface, only to find more hills once we ventured into the woods. Seriously, the whole first half of the race was up hills. Which meant that thankfully there were some downhills later on.

I did end up walking a few times uphill and kept apologizing to my husband, "I'm so sorry!" For which he told me to stop apologizing. 3.1 miles, or 5 kilometers, later we had finally reached the finish line. My husband and I gave a double high-five and I thanked him for running with me. We went to get our free waters and complimentary Stonyfield Greek Yogurt, which was amazing by the way! Then we headed home and I ate some absolutely delicious Hawaiin pizza that my parents had ordered.

I can't even describe how proud I was of my husband and I. I never thought that I would be able to run a 5k less than a year after I had a baby. There were lots of sore muscles and shin splints along the way, but it was all worth it in the end to cross that finish line. I'm already thinking about signing up for my next one.