I started a diet and fitness program and was on the downward swing of my usual weight yo-yo. I started doing interval training on the treadmill at the rec center, and I also liked "dancing" on the elliptical. At one point some friends challenged me to run in the July 4th 5K with them. I wasn't sure if I could do it, but I decided to try. I had tried the C25K program several years earlier and never got through week 5 with the 20 minute run, so I definitely had my doubts. I didn't follow the C25K intervals program but instead just walked/ran whatever intervals I felt up to that day.
Gary had surgery on his back in March. When I took him home that night and after I got him situated on the couch, I decided to run on the treadmill for a mile without stopping. I had watched Biggest Loser contestants running half marathons, for crying out loud. If they could do it, why couldn't I? Come hell or high water, I was going to run a mile! And I did. I ran very slowly and it was probably the hardest mile I've run. I hung on for dear life and was thrilled and proud of my accomplishment! 1 mile. It's crazy looking back on that. It was March 9, 2012.
I continued to run/walk intervals until finally I was able to run continuously at very slow speeds (4.7 mph sometimes!) on the treadmill for 20 minutes. I remember being so proud of that to the rec center coaches, and I know they must have thought I was nuts taking so long to run just 1.5 miles. I started going further and further and then I ran my first 5K on the treadmill on Saturday, June 2!
I joined the C25K forums after that and began posting all about it. The first person to reply to my first post was Mish, aka Melissa. I also met mrsphs (Kristi), Wombat (Ted), Photo-Bob, Tim, Mae Lynn, and several others who encouraged me through the next 3 years. Cathy Piper also encouraged me a lot during my first year.
I ran my first 5K at the Run the Flood on June 9 with a finish time of 42:47, 13:46 pace. I didn't walk any of it, but it's hard to imagine how I ran that slowly! It was soooo hard to keep going. I was so sore the next day. Sometimes, the day after a really long run, I think about the mild soreness and remember how awful it was that day. How far I've come!
I ran the July 4th 5K also, but I had to take some walk breaks for that one. Even so, I had a 5K PR with 37:47, pace 12:22. Luke ran the 1 mile race in 7:11, taking 4th place in the --13 year division. He was 10, the little stinker!
That summer I ran a lot outdoors and inside on the treadmill, and I learned a lot about surfaces, hydration, running clothes, training for longer distances, etc., etc., etc. I also ran during travel to Washington DC and Japan. It was a whole new world for me, and I was loving it!
I ran in the Boomtown 5K in Vinton on August 25. Luke ran his in 22:39 and got the trophy for the 13-19 age group since the only boy in that age group took 1st and got the overall trophy. My time was 33:44, another PR, and I got first place in my age group! There were 5 of us in my age group, so it wasn't a total gimmee. My one and only trophy, but it was soooo cool.
After that race I had my first running injury. Tendinitis in my right ankle! It was horrible. I couldn't run for several weeks, and it was driving me absolutely bonkers. I went through loads of physical therapy and x-rays and everything, and every time I tried to run, it would be a setback in healing. But I did finally heal up enough to start running again in late October, just in time for the Flaughless 5K on Oct. 27, 2012. Luke and I both ran that one. He finished in 24:23 and got 2nd place in the 12 and under division. I ran it pretty slowly (around 36 minutes) and just enjoyed myself. I wore my wonder woman costume shirt with a gold headband and blue cape. That was the beginning of my love for all things Wonder Woman!
I continued to run in 2012 and really enjoyed running when in Japan, especially to the Nagoya Castle.
My year ended up with 303 miles. That was for March - December, and with September - November being very low mileage due to the tendinitis. My longest run without stopping was 5 miles on the treadmill on Dec. 30. My biggest monthly total was December with 46.4 miles, my biggest week was August 5-11 with 14.2 miles. (That was back when I measured Sunday through Saturday. Now I measure Monday through Sunday, as it is a better reflection of a workout week when long runs can happen on either weekend day.)
I posted this on the C25K forum: The very first mile was an accomplishment. The very first 20 minute run was huge. The first 5K I ran at the gym was mind numbing to me, and the first 5K race.... the memory of it makes my eyes well up with happy tears. I can't believe I'm a runner. All my life I wanted this. Why did it take me so long to finally do it? It just doesn't matter. I'm doing it now. And I'm NOT GOING TO STOP!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment