As many of you know, I’ve been fighting a knee issue on and off for a few months.  I waited until the last minute to decide if I would be able to run the Pink Ribbon 5K, and decided I could do it! So my sweet husband got up early with me this morning and we drove 30 minutes to the next little town up from ours. I was expecting a big crowd of people like we used to have in Florida, but NO! There were only about 40 or so. And 90% of them looked like serious runners.

You know the type. They are jumping up and down, doing little sprints across the parking lot, stretching, and wearing fancy watches. I started to get nervous. Then I got even more nervous when the woman at the registration table told me the route and mentioned several big hills. Where we live there are just a couple of hills, and none near me, so I didn’t train for hills. (Oops.)

We started out (with me almost in the back) and immediately went down a hill, and then up a huge hill that went on forever. I persevered through the whole race and finished in 32:08 seconds. Definitely slower than I normally do a 5K. I guess I learned my lesson about not training for the hills!

I also learned that thin does not mean fit. There was this beautiful young girl, who was thin and fit looking. She started off running at a good clip, and promptly stopped and began walking. Later, I  saw her finishing up the course as John and I were driving away. I think it’s great that she finished, but I learned not to judge a book by its cover. The lady who finished right in front of me was about my age, but was only about 5′2″ and probably outweighed me by 50 pounds. But she and I kept pace together, and finished together. If I saw that woman in the mall, I’d never think she could run a 5K at all.

Running little races like this makes me appreciate how far I’ve come, and keeps me committed to maintaining a healthy weight. When I weighed 300 pounds, I couldn’t have walked this course, but now, I can run it – albeit slowly. Yet another reason to stay commited to your plan – you can run races, help a good cause, and get some really cute t-shirts!

As I was writing this post I was wondering if any of you have done a race like this? If not, it’s a great goal to set for yourself. Look online for races in your area, and commit to doing one. You will be glad that you did! And me?  Before I do my next 5K in two weeks, I will head to the one hill in my town and practice!  Diane