I can't believe this Saturday will mark the one year anniversary since I ran my very first official 5K.
The weather last year at this time was very much like it has been the past few days. Beautiful skies. . . cool mornings. . . . warm afternoons.
A year ago this Saturday this happy group gathered at Crown Center in Kansas City to participate in the 5K event of the the Kansas City Marathon.
For the girls in the group. . . it was our first 5K. . . however, my son, a seasoned runner with several long distance events under his belt, including a couple of marathons, was kind enough to run the 5K with us.
Pictured below (Bottom row, L to R) Kate (who got us inspired in the first place to actually do this!!) and my niece Carrie. (Top row L to R) Mary, her daughter Jen, me (Dana) and Nate (my boy!).
Mary and Jen came from Little Rock to participate !!
This is a BIG event. I think there were over 11,000 folks running either in the marathon, half marathon, relay or 5K.
Here we are, making our way up to the "start" line.
It was SO exciting to actually be in the middle of this crowd with our little group. It was also a bit overwhelming. . . but in a really fun way!
I remember being so thrilled with myself for actually setting the goal, then working for about three months on slowly conditioning and increasing my running abilities to the 3.1 mile mark. The other gals did the very same thing. It was truly a HUGE moment for each of us.
I couldn't have asked for a more perfect way to start my adventure in running. . . having my son by my side every step of the way was just awesome.
Over the year, I have tried a variety of running shoes. . . .
and battled Plantar Fasciitis.
It was a rough Spring because of my foot pain, but with lots of stretching, icing, insoles and orthotics, and the amazing Night Splint. . . that's not an issue these days.
After a couple of blisters, I realized I needed to invest in a good pair of socks, however, that was not an easy task. They were too thin, too thick, too tight, too hot!!! Finally I found my favorte kind. . . shown in the lower right. They are by Nike and fit my foot perfectly...with just a bit of cushion the the important areas.
A bit of cushion is essential for elder running feet. :)
I HAVE to wear something on my head when I run. . . not so much for the sun, but to help absorb some of the massive amounts of sweat that wants to run into my eyes.
I realized a full hat is not my first choice, unless it's raining. I prefer visors. I started with the red one on the left. . . an Old Navy cotton number. Later I found these lighter weight, nylon types that I like lots more. . they're cooler than the cotton ones.
Being the girlie girl she is, Twiggy totally understands why I need so many pretty colors!
One thing about entering a lot of runs. . .you will notice a huge increase in your t-shirt wardrobe!! :)
Each of these shirts remind me of what fun (or not so much fun as was the case of the yellow shirt and blue shirt with the white letters) I had that day. The "not-so-much-fun-run-shirts", however, remind me of lessons I learned from the two runs they represent. I also know that some days our body is ready to boogie and some days it isn't. . . and from my readings, I realize even the most amazing runners have those days. . .they just hide it better than I do! :)
For nearly a month now I've been dealing with a new issue. . . a pulled hamstring. It bothered me in both of my last two runs.
I took last week off from running and my other exercise classes. . . mainly to prepare for my fall sale (which was last weekend), but also to rest and hopefully heal the ham string.
The Kansas City Marathon is this Saturday. I signed up for the 5K. . . mainly to see if I could improve my time from last year, and also to be there to cheer on my son who will be running the half-marathon! With this nagging injury, I have given serious consideration to not running in it.
HOWEVER, I just received an awesome gift from my husband. . .a GARMIN watch! It does everything but wipe my sweaty brow!!!
He picked it up this weekend and I hadn't had a chance to "figure it out" ( I still haven't) and actually run with it until this morning.
So, with it on my wrist, I proceeded with maiden GARMIN run. . . to test the watch and my hamstring.
As I ran, my hamstring was "talking" to me. I took a slower aproach to my pace this morning, especially since it had been a week since I last ran. This elder running body has to ease back into things!!!
I finished my run in decent time with much less discomfort than the last time I ran. I also made certain I stretched very well afterwords. . . including the additon of some new moves I just read about.
As I have been "reliving" our run together last year, I also remember how strong Mary was then and the example she set.
She had been dealing with a very bad case of shin splnts for a few weeks before and right up to race day. Althought she was in a lot of pain, that did not stop her from reaching her running goal that morning. She pushed through the discomfort and completed the run. I have to think she achieved the most that day of any of us.
So, I plan on participating again this Saturday. . . I just hope my hamstring will be silent. If it's not, I will just try to ignore it! ;)
It won't be nearly as much fun as last year. I don't know anyone else who is running the 5K, so I'll be swallowed up by thousands of others as we head North on Grand. My son's event will start 10 minutes before the 5K, so he'll be way a head of me in the crowd. However, I plan on cheering him on as he crosses the "finish" line later.
My goal last year was simply to finish the run without having to stop and walk. My goal this year. . . certainly will be the same, but I will add. . . can I beat my previous time?
I'll let you know. . . . .
DANA
