Helloooo Luv-ies,

Great News this morning!
Yesterday I Finished My First Official 5K Race!!!

I started training a couple of months ago with the intent on running the race earlier than now, but that didn’t work out.  I joined a running team from the fitness center where I work out, and with great hope – much trepidation – started the training program.  The first training day was followed by many more, with the team convening once a week, to review and implement the weekly workouts that we each received via email.

After three weeks, I had to drop out of the team practices, but I continued with the e-mailed training program on my own.  I was determined to successfully run a 5K before the weather turned cold.  Well, Labor Day came and went, and I did not run the race, with my team mates, but I continued to train for a race that would come to mean much more.

As the weeks passed with repeated speed work and strength training workouts, I selected a race that had great significance to me.  I decided on a local race called ‘Hero Palooza’ – A Bike Tour, 5K Run/Walk & Family Festival Crab Feast.  The mission/vision of the organization is to restore hope to Leukemia patients and their families by increasing bone marrow registrants, providing nutritious meals, and supporting blood cancer research.

And so, I registered….

After a good night’s sleep, I arose the morning of the race early. Registration was scheduled to start at 8:30am and I did not want to be late… it’s my first race, after all!

Because my stomach tends to be temperamental, I decided that I would have a glass of orange juice and a bottle of water. I’d see how I felt once I got there….

One last once over and prayer for a successful (and uneventful) run, I was on my way…

As a very young girl, I lost my younger Brother, Kenneth ‘Kenny’ to Leukemia.  This race is my way of honoring him and celebrating his heroic fight to beat this disease.

Once I arrived, I snapped a picture of the welcome sign and sent one – of many – Tweets dedicating this race to my HeroPalooza Brother and celebrating my participation

I was very early arriving but it didn’t seem matter to these ladies. It was so refreshing to be greeted by these smiling faces. They were extremely helpful during the registration process. Being a newbie, I had loads of questions. None of which seemed to be too silly for them. Thank You Ladies … you only get to be a newbie once!

Even though my stomach was not completely settled (it had to be nerves), I grabbed a couple bottles of water and some fruit.  My race, the 5K, was not scheduled to start for another hour and a half, so I thought I’d put something on this nervous stomach

Finally it was time to get warmed up. That meant that in twenty minutes, I would be running my first official 5K race! !Woo Hoo!

The warm up was lead by one of the instructors from the fitness center that I belong.  The energy was electric and the enthusiasm contagious.

One last pose before the start of the race. Thank You to the willing stranger that I snagged to take this pic.

Note to self – take someone with you so that they can be the unofficial photographer of all of my madness

The next time I see this display, it will have the ‘Finish’ banner in place

FINISHED!!!

YEEEEAH ME!!!
The run was great! The road was mostly flat. That was a good thing…

the temperature was close to eighty degrees by the time the race started. That made the road hot and the air hotter… not used to that!

Another note to self – train in all types of weather and humidity levels.

I’m a 5K WINNER!!!

Thirty One minutes Later….

I felt elated! I’ve definitely caught the bug!

There will be many more races to come!

Stay tuned for more races!

What goal have you reached this summer?
Do Tell….