I had been experimenting with walking/jogging intervals earlier in the summer, but it wasn't until I heard that my niece Carrie, Mary, her step mom, Jen, her step sis and Kate, a good friend of Carrie's were training to actually run a 5K in October here in Kansas City that I jumped on board, too. With the exception of Jen, the rest of us had zero serious running experience!!
To train for such an undertaking, we used the COUCH TO 5K RUNNING PLAN. As August turned into September and then into October, we had all made significant improvements in our running endurance! By the time we had completed the program, we were running at least 3.1 miles at a time, which is the distance of a 5K .
My son, who had already participated in two marathon runs and a variety of other shorter running events, decided to run the 5K with us!!! How wonderful this would be. . . completing such a goal TOGETHER with four other "first timers" and with my boy to boot!! :)
Last week, I shared on my blog what part of the first mile of the 5K course looked like. It was described as a "slight incline" on the official web site of the WADDELL & REED KANSAS CITY MARATHON. The incline didn't look so bad as I was standing there. . . pointing at it. Later, while riding in a car over the course, it looked pretty scary!!!
My niece kept pumping me up with positive thoughts about that stretch. I just knew it could really put the skids to much of a run for me - - -if I was totally wiped out at the end of the first mile I would have to walk for a while, and I really didn't want to do that.
So, our plan was- - - go slow on the first mile! :)
The day before the 5K, which was held last Saturday, October 16, my husband and I headed to CROWN CENTER to pick up the registration packets for myself and my son. The packets contained our "bib" numbers (what you pin on your shirt for identification) and our shoe "tags". Our tag would record the actual "time" it took to complete the run. We also got a snazzy commemorative T-shirt!!
It was official. I couldn't chicken out at that point.
As we left CROWN CENTER, my husband suggested we have a late lunch at one of our favorite barbecue spots in Kansas City. . . .FIORELLA'S JACK STACK BARBECUE. This particular restaurant is located near CROWN CENTER. . . behind UNION STATION. It's in an area called the FREIGHT HOUSE DISTRICT. LIDIA'S is also located there.
The weather was PERFECT for dining outside on the patio and watching the trains go by. In this photo, you can see the white/blue of the AMTRAK getting ready to load passengers. (lower right corner)
Here's one of the many freight trains that zipped along the tracks.
Since I was "carbing up" for the big run (don't I sound like a real runner?), I ordered their "loaded" barbecue potato, but had everything put on the side so I could eat just the amounts of "extras" I wanted.
A customer at a table by us had this dish, so I ordered it, too. It was delish......sauteed green beans and red peppers served in one of their WORLD FAMOUS onion rings!!!
This is a little bowl of "burnt ends" that came with my potato......I'm not a huge meat eater, but this stuff was very good!!! I didn't eat lots of it...but what I did tasted amazing mixed with the potato, cheese and sour cream!! It was a PERFECT meal....not heavy, but extremely tasty and carby!!
My husband had The Jack Stack sandwich......beef on a bun basically. He also enjoyed sides of their WONDERFUL baked beans and coleslaw!
We've been eating this barbecue for over forty years. The business started out as a small family spot called The Smoke Stack. In the early days, the sandwich my husband ordered last week at Jack Stack was called the Sixty Niner cuz it cost 69cents. The price in this day and age....$10.00!! It's still worth every penny!
If you ever eat at JACK STACK'S you'll have to have a stack of their onion rings. This was the last of the six rings we ordered that day......I had ONE. :) Normally, I would have consumed at least three, but I didn't want my stomach to remind me during the night that I had eaten them!!!
One was PERFECT!!!
The run started at 7:30 a.m.!!! That meant we had to leave our house at 6:15. Info we read about the run suggested we be warmed up and in line by 7:15....so we needed to arrive early enough to find a spot to park. . . .
and hit the "potty" before we headed to the "start" line.
The above photo shows a bit of the interior of CROWN CENTER....a wonderful shopping venue. The starting line was just north of this area. . . you can see runners beginning to line up.
Here we are for our official "BEFORE" photo!!! Front row L-R Kate and Carrie. Backrow L-R Mary, Jen, me, and Nate.
Mary and Jen had flown in from Little Rock the night before just for this event!!!
I have to say that Mary is one of the toughest and most determined gals ever!! She had (and still has) an injury on her left leg and had not run for three weeks prior to this 5K.....hoping her leg would improve with rest. She just sucked it up, took some Advil, plopped a "pain patch" over the injured area......and jumped in the the race line, ready to go!
Here is a portion of the runners making their way to the "start". There were about 11,000 participants entered in the various events that morning, which included the 5K, a half-marathon and a full marathon.
I had NEVER been in such a crowd before.....there was so much excitement in the air!!! Oh, and the weather was PERFECT, too!! It was sunny and clear. . . a bit of a nip in the air, but just enough to keep us from getting overheated.
Our official photographers for the run were (L to R) my husband and my niece's husband! They were so awesome to get up very early on a Saturday morning and "mix" with the thousands of folks, just so they could cheer us on and take a few photos! Thank you so much!!!
Somehow, my husband found us in the throng of runners. I have on the blue shirt, red visor and big smile...and I'm waving at you!! My son is ahead of me....white shirt, big smile. My niece is to his right. . . cute red head, head band, waving, and a big smile, as well!!! You can see Jen's ponytail to the left of Carrie. Mary and Kate were nearby, too, but not visible in this shot.
It was pretty tricky keeping our little group somewhat together as we made our way to the STARTING LINE!!!!!
Before we ran, they played the National Anthem. Kate remarked that this was the first time she'd ever been a "participant" at an event when it was played.....she was typically a spectator! Her statement rang true for me, too.
Another PERFECT moment!!!
That was the first time I had met Kate.....she is SOOOOOOO cute and funny!!! In fact, Kate is the reason we participated in this event in the first place. It was her idea to do it. Then she asked Carrie if she wanted to. Carrie said "yes"! Over the 4th of July Carrie mentioned it to Mary and Jen. . . they wanted to do it, too! I found out about it a little later and thought that sounded like fun. What a thrill to find out that my son was planning on running that day, too!!
Wow. . . and here we were. After all of the training and exchanging of e-mails and Facebook conversations. . . . .we were slowly moving toward the official START line. . . . getting ready to run!!!
I couldn't stop smiling.......how often does that happen?
I love this photo of the cousins. . . Nate and Carrie. . . getting ready to take on the 5K course!
I think this was taken moments before we took off. . . I was setting my "stop watch", and I think I see a few other folks doing that, too. The shoe "tags" we attached to our laces would be activated as soon as we stepped on the starting line. As I said earlier, I was more concerned about finishing the event running the whole way. . . the amount of time I did it in wasn't the "biggie", but it would still be fun to find out how long it took me to complete it!
We don't have photos of the dreaded mile long "slight incline".....however, we all made it. It wasn't that bad!!! BUT the right turn we made that took us to the next street....WELL that stretch was REALLY a hill. I was certainly winded by the time we made it up that stretch, but the next mile was slightly down hill or flat, so I was able to recover.....sorta.
I think we are a bit over two miles at this point of the run. My husband had left the START area and waited with his camera at this point....hoping to catch sight of some of us as we sailed by!!!!
Nate is behind the turquoise shirted lady. I think she was a "walker". You can see I was not smiling!
I was really starting to feel tired at that point. My legs felt like they had 50 pound weights on them. . . and we still had a ways to go. Thoughts of walking were floating through my brain and I know my son could hear the audible sounds of my labored breathing. He was amazing. . . he kept telling me what a good job I was doing and how proud he was of me!! Life just came full circle on that run with him!
At this turn, we realized my husband was taking our photos and happily waved to him!!! That helped take my mind off my negative feelings- - - for a bit! :)
He also captured Carrie!!! She had on the capris with the stripe on the leg. . . red ponytail flying!!!! Doesn't she look great?
In a bit, we all crossed the FINISH line!!!! Here we are, not too long after we reached our goal. What a PERFECT moment!
Carrie, Mary and Jen are shown here right after they crossed the finish line, too!!!! How wonderful!!!
All of the time we had spent "learning to run" had paid off!
We don't have finish line photos of Kate, but she made it just fine, too!! She was celebrating with her family as soon as she completed her run.
One of our AFTER group photos!!!
A side view!! :)
We are standing in line at the tent where we found out how fast (or SLOW) we ran our event!
My fleet footed boy could have left me in his dust, but he stuck by my side every step of the run. I have to say it was one of the best times in my life. . . he's such a good person and I love him so much. Yep, he hung in there with me and we stepped on the finish line at the same time. We officially ran the 5K in 34 min and 59 seconds. I'm pretty sure he didn't break a sweat with the run and I am certain that was his slowest official 5K run time. . .ever. I moved as fast as I could that day and was very pleased with myself for not walking a step!
This was the time that elapsed on my stop watch during the run from start to finish....but I started it before we actually stepped on the start line. SO, I'd like to think that the Official time was accurate! :)
Here our little group is enjoying some post-run chatting and relaxation. After that, we had a leisurely breakfast at a local restaurant. . . another PERFECT part of the day.
Three cheers for the photographers!!!
That afternoon, Carrie's husband took a cute photo of her, Mary and Jen. They had gone to a local spot to dine and watch their beloved Arkansas Razorbacks play Auburn.
Aren't they a cute group? Ya would never know that just a few hours earlier, they were running in their first 5K!!!
Carrie is always so thoughtful. She got each of us this great postcard of the POWER AND LIGHT DISTRICT, with a photo of THE SPRINT CENTER on the bottom portion. We ran on the street in front of THE SPRINT CENTER for the first mile of the 5K!!! She wrote the most wonderful message on the back of the card. . . referring to our run as a "journey". Hence, the title of this post. We did share a wonderful journey!
Knowing the importance of chocolate in the diets of females, Carrie purchased a bar of ANNEDORE'S chocolate for each of us.
Kansas City was imprinted on top of each one!!!
Mary surprised us with the greatest silver bracelets - - - each one had a "5K" charm attached!! I am nuts over it and have been showing it off every chance I get!!! It will always remind me of our special day.....running our very first 5Ks. . . together!!!
PERFECT!!!
THE STONE RABBIT was also very proud of me for completing the 5K Run and happily posed with the postcard, chocolate and bracelet.
He asked me what I had given to the others to commemorate the big run. I sheepishly sad "nothing". . . .I had thought about it, but I just couldn't come up with a good idea.
So, as a little gift, I'm dedicating this post to my fellow runners.
To my son. Thank you for giving me one of the best times in my life. . . running by my side for 3.1 miles. . .giving me loads of encouragement along the way. My heart just swells with pride over you.
To Carrie. Without your initial enthusiasm the rest of us would not have been a part of this event!! You are my favorite red-headed niece. . . and I am so proud of you for completing your run!! You bring such joy to all you do and to the lives of those you touch!
To Mary. You are such a determined person!! With all of the pain you dealt with prior to and during the run. . . you forged ahead and completed your goal!!! You are a force to be reckoned with. . . and I am so glad you did what you set out to do! You are awesome!
To Jen. You were the first over the finish line. . . way to go!!! I so enjoyed spending time with you and getting to know you better. It was a thrill to be a part of your special day, too!! I definitely see bigger running goals in your future!
To Kate. If it hadn't been for you, none of this would have happened!! It was your idea to do the run in the first place!!! To you, I say THANK YOU for being a part of one of the finest times in my life!! You were instrumental in changing our lives! Congrats to you for reaching your 5K goal!
Here is a bit of PINK that was seen on the back of a T-shirt that day. I think it pretty much says it all.
Please visit Beverly's blog, HOW SWEET THE SOUND. She will have a long list of bloggers with terrific PINKS to share!!!
Have a great PINK SATURDAY.
DANA
Congratulatlions on your amazing "journey"! I most definitely think it took courage to even attempt such a feat! How wonderful that your son was by your side.
You should be proud of yourself...
Posted by: joy | October 22, 2010 at 01:06 PM
Several of the races I've run in were military sponsored. So, I'll give you a big HOOAH!!! That was a great post, and you had a great time. Hoping I can break 40 minutes on my neighborhood 5K in December.
Posted by: Glenda in Florida | October 22, 2010 at 01:47 PM
You are amazing, Dana!!
Posted by: Pat@Back Porch Musings | October 22, 2010 at 04:24 PM
Just awesome Dana! Just awesome! Congratulations on starting and finishing your journey.
Was touched by your sweet son and his sticking by his mom. We have five wonderful grown sons- the youngest 23- and they amaze me all the time. And can't leave our daughter out -- what blessings they are.
So proud of you and happy with you!
Great post! Thanks for taking us along.:)
Hugs,
Linda
Posted by: Linda C | October 22, 2010 at 09:21 PM
What special memories. I think it's so amazing that you have accomplished this...we are all proud of you!
Posted by: Cheri | October 22, 2010 at 11:41 PM
Girl, you know I am so proud of you. This post has me sitting here crying. You know I have a soft spot for sweet sons.
Happy Pink Saturday, dear friend. Let me know when you want me to call you about TypePad.
Posted by: Beverly | October 23, 2010 at 04:31 AM
Hi Dana,
Congratulations, you must feel amazing, and to have your son by your side encouraging you. You just memorized and embraced a very special time.
Karen
Posted by: karen cox | October 23, 2010 at 06:25 AM
I have 3 words for you, Dana:
1. A
2. Maze
3. Zing!
What a sweet family you have. I especially love the time you had with your son.
Posted by: Sally | October 23, 2010 at 06:48 AM
Dana I am soooo proud of you!! All of you!! What a wonderful thing for you to do and I so enjoyed reading every word and all the photos. You made me feel like I was actually there. It was such fun reading about you and your son especially, doing this together. That is so very special! When I lived with my son and family, he and I walked during his work breaks together, so I know how awesome that time spent with a grown son is. You are so inspiring! ♥
Posted by: Betty Jo | October 23, 2010 at 08:58 AM
What a great post Dana!! Give your son a hug from me. What a wonderful man he is to stick by his momma's side. I once ran a 13K with my brother who left me in the dust in the first few miles. I said never again, but your post was certainly inspirational!
Posted by: Betty @ She's Sew Pretty | October 23, 2010 at 10:24 AM
What an exciting day for you all. Thank you for sharing it with us. Happy Pink Saturday.
Posted by: Donnie | October 23, 2010 at 05:10 PM
Congratulations!!! I wouldn't be brave enough to even give it a try.
My daughter was there with her Navy Unit providing medical assistance. I'm glad you weren't one of them she had to help!
Keep up the running, or maybe turn it into a "fast walk." I was hoping you would carry the Stone Rabbit with you.
Rosie from Raymore
Posted by: Rose Broadway | October 23, 2010 at 07:32 PM
Well, I'm a bit tired after following your journey. So proud of you. Wow! Just think how I would feel had I actually run or walked with you instead of "reading." Looking forward to breakfast soon. Sharleen
Posted by: Sharleen | October 23, 2010 at 08:12 PM
Dana ~ CONGRATULATIONS to you!!!! I am so impressed...makes me want to go for a run (not)!
Posted by: Caren | October 23, 2010 at 10:04 PM
Congratulations, Dana! You. Are. Awesome!
Hugs, Cathy
...who has only WALKED a 5K, but it was for Breast Cancer Awareness and it felt good!
Posted by: Cathy Kizerian | October 23, 2010 at 10:18 PM
Oh Dana, I am so very proud of your accomplishment! I know you really wanted to get through the run without walking and you succeeded!!! Congrats on your milestone. You deserve that cute little charm! hugs, Sue
Posted by: Account Deleted | October 24, 2010 at 06:01 AM
Congratulations Dana, what an awesome accomplishment! And like others have commented, that is so very sweet that your son stayed right by your side.
Posted by: Sandy | October 24, 2010 at 02:32 PM
Wow!!! Congratulations again and again. What a wonderful adventure...no wonder you look so young snd fit! Couch to 5K...cute and clever and it looks like it worked out pretty well. Have a Pink Week and rest up for your next adventure.
Posted by: LaVerne | October 24, 2010 at 02:36 PM
Oh Dana, I felt like I was right there cheering you on. I actually got choked up. I know about those "slight inclines". My daily walk has one that looks so innocent but once you start walking it the legs burn so bad. Thank goodness the rest if downhill! Way to go Dana....xoxo
Posted by: Lynn@thevintagenest | October 25, 2010 at 05:12 PM
My dear friend, I am right there with you during all of the excitement and hoopla. Your story is written so well. I hate that my belated comment was necessary because 'this woman' was too busy to be there for you. Boy, was I busy!!! My company left yesterday at 10:00 am. It was pouring rain all day and I just chilled majorly. Cheri and I barely got off the couch. Cheri' mingled among nearly 50 people winning them over with her sweet personality. She usually sleeps a good bit of each day. Not that day. HA!
I love all of your photos, especially the ones of you and your son and Carrie, Mary and Jen. The camaraderie is infectious. A day to remember with the excitement of your sweet son running with you all the way. An awesome experience with much love and encouragement. I think your time is terrific. You HAVE come a long way baby. What's next???
I do love the bracelet and that delicious looking chocolate. I am thinking your bracelet will be full of running charms in the future. The words on the back of the shirt is right on. Congratulation once again. I AM SO PROUD OF YOU. I just can't say it enough. HUGE smile here.
Love you much,
Jeanne
Posted by: jeanne | October 26, 2010 at 05:38 AM
Delightful story. What a wonderful son and family! I'm still visiting around Pink Saturday posts. Have a wonderful week.
Posted by: Nancy | October 27, 2010 at 12:01 PM
Dana,
I am so proud of you for running a 5K marathon. You made me tear up at the end with your tributes to your son, Carrie,Mary and Jen! You did it girl! Congratulations!
Hugs,
Jean
Posted by: Jean | November 01, 2010 at 09:08 PM