And today was the day. My first official race.... and it was awesome!
Its a good thing I'm better at keeping up with my training that I am at keeping up with this blog. Apparently I'm a terrible blogger. I can't seem to conjure up the enthusiasm to blog about running after I've finished a run but tonight is different... I've officially run my first race!
Flashback to the beginning for some perspective--When we first started TNT I had a really hard time running even the shortest distances and definitely had my fair share of doubts. I remember that first day out, struggling to make it 3 or 4 minutes without turning beet red and regretting my decision to take on this massive challenge. But since then each practice and run has gotten better. I run farther, faster and feel stronger each time. Where 5 weeks ago 1 mile made me want to keel over, it now feels like nothing. And suddenly out of nowhere Central Park feels much smaller and much less overwhelming than it did that first day of TNT.
Last night was a turning point for me--at practice we worked on increasing the rotation of our arms and as a result increasing our stride. I ran with a coach for a while, taking his advice on how to improve my form and finished the 3.4 miles 18 minutes faster than I did that first day of TNT. I'm sorry, I don't think I gave that enough emphasis. 18 minutes! (technically more if you consider the first TNT run was 3.2 miles and last night was 3.4... humor me please.) I'm not in any way saying I'm a speed demon, it still took me 42 minutes to complete the 3.4 miles, but I was steady throughout the workout, more efficient, and felt great after vs. the first run where I wanted to pass out.
So my first official race...
About 6 weeks ago when charlie and I first signed up for TNT we also signed up for the JP Morgan challenge. If we were going to become "runners" we thought we might as well start doing the things that runners do, like races. At the time I remember having mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, we had just signed up to train for a 26.2 mile race so this race should feel like nothing. On the other hand I had never run before and in a mere 6 weeks I would have to run 3.5 miles. That was 3.5 miles more than I had ever considered running and it was only weeks away. I was terrified of being the last one and looking like a sweaty fool when I finally dragged my non-runner butt through the finish line.
So tonight was the big night: The JP Morgan Corporage Challenge. To be honest, even after last night's success I really wanted no part of this event today. My muscles were tired from last night and it didn't help that it was gloomy and overcast (yet again) and that there were 15,000 people there waiting to run the course. Fortunately I have my running pal who helps me get past those lazy moments.
So we set off for the park, safety pinned on our first racing numbers and hit the path... and waited and waited and waited till the crowds finally got moving. Torture! After becoming accustomed to wide open streets in Central Park running with all of those people (or should I sat zigzagging between all of those people) was a real pain. Before we even hit mile 1 I was tired, it was humid, and I was sick of trying not to turn walkers into speed bumps but I pushed through. Once I made it through the thick crowds the streets started to open up, I got into a groove and started to feel great again. Sure, I still get my moments where I'm feeling tired and sore but its truly shocking to me that running doesn't feel like torture or punishment anymore! By the time I hit that last mile I felt amazing! I kicked in the new "increased stride" we learned about last night and pushed through the finish line. That first finish line felt amazing but for me the greatest part of all is realizing how far I've come... where 3.5 miles felt scary 5 weeks ago it feels like no big deal now. I actually uttered the words "Oh, Its only 3.5 miles" yesterday. Crazy!
So there it is folks--First race down. I never thought I'd ever run recreationally and today I ran my first race! A long way to go but one step closer to marathon success!
Thank You's & Shout Outs
I want to send a special shout out and thank you to the people who have supported me through words of inspiration and donations!! Thank you Juliet, Kelly and Autumn for your donations! I can't tell you how much your donations have meant to me. And thank you to all those who joined my facebook group and sent messages cheering me on! Keep it coming! As the runs get longer I'm definitely going to need your continued support.
Thanks again everyone! Until Saturday...
