I Run My First Ever 5k in 20 Days!

All throughout growing up I hated running.   Flat and simple - hated it.  I tried to like it, but it never prevailed.  In high school we ran the mile - 4 laps around the field I was always one of the last 5 people to finish (side note - I weighed less than 115lbs in high school - I should have been faster).  There were times I put a leash on our late dog Lucy and go a jog, but she would make me run with a jerk of the leash.  This was that time where Discmans were popular and oh yeah you bet I had one of those - the cd skipping everytime I landed on my feet, the way it would bounce against my body in that neoprene waist case - the memories.

I always wanted to get into running because whenever I talked to people who ran, they loved it.  There is an untouchable joy you see in a runner that is so desirable!  The advise was always the same, "just keep getting out there and run for a little bit, one day you'll find joy in it."  So I kept trying, not on a serious regular basis, but I have the drive to find the love of running. 

I have been pining away with the desire to run a 5k - because lets face it, if I ever want to be a triathlete, I have to start somewhere.  So in the fall of 2012 I signed my husband (hehe) and myself up for the San Diego Hot Chocolate 5k on March 24th.  I am so excited!  Check out what's going to be in my goodie bag:

And for those of you who know me well, know that I LOVE Orange! Afterall, it was my wedding color!  OH, and check out the amazing Finishers Mug we'll get when we pass the finish line:

So you see - I get to run my first ever 5k in San Diego, a beautiful and cool city, receive a fantastic hoodie that I'll wear alot, and at the end of it all I get a finished mug with hot chocolate, fruit and other sweet sweet treats!  AMEN!

So, in my training for my first ever real "run", I have hounded my husband to get out and run with me.  So finally this past Saturday, 4 weeks before the 5k, we ran a mile (1/3ish of a 5k) with intervals of fartlek training.  Fartlek, a Swedish term that means "speed play," is a form of interval or speed training that can be effective in improving your speed and endurance. Fartlek running involves varying your pace throughout your run, alternating between fast segments and slow jogs.   This was a great way to enhance my endurance and leg strength.

More running & training to go!  I will finish the race in a great time and NOT be in the last group to finish.  Times have changed my friends and it changed me radically.

As soon as I run that 5k, I will post pictures and stories of my experiences - then we'll plan the 15k.  EEP! :\

Sign up for the Hot Chocolate 5k and run with me!