Sign up for a 5K this year and become a runner

Last fall my husband and I decided to do our first 5K (3.1 miles) ever!  Neither of us were runners at the time and I think I kind of despised running.

I didn’t like running, because it was something I wasn’t good and I frankly felt like I couldn’t do it.  I didn’t like the way my body pounded on the pavement when I ran, the way I quickly ran out of breath, and how it wasn’t fun.

We first started off with a goal of running a mile and at the time that seemed like such a feat.  We quickly set the goal to 1.5 miles, then 2 miles, and then we just jumped to the 3 mile goal.  Running did get easier and more fun.  I actually began to like running and the feeling of accomplishment that I got from running the distance.  Within just a few weeks, we went from a half of a mile being the most without stopping to 3 miles.

We ran the 5k and we both ended up with running side cramps (known as running side stitches) during the last 2/3rds of the 5K.  Becuase we were running for a cause, Breast Cancer Research, and I had just had  friend pass away from breast cancer, I decided to endure the pain and make the goal of running the entire 5K without stopping.

If we had trained longer or had been a more experienced runner, we would have known how to handle our breathing to eliminate the side stitch pain.  So, from our short training, we didn’t gain all of the knowledge of a true runner, but I did learn that I can run and be a runner.

Since the 5K, I continue to run between 1-4 miles for exercise once or twice a week.  I even ran 2 miles at the beach for 5 of the days of my vacation.  I always wanted to be able to run on the beach and this year I did that.

Running is something that I now know that I can do and that I can quickly get back into when I take a longer break from running.    You just have to give your body a little time to condition and then it just starts ticking.  I am not a fast runner, but that I know I can become if I work for it.

Running helped transform my body and gave me an athletic feeling to want to focus more on exercise.  One day, I hope to achieve more distance than a 5K, but for now I am proud of that run.

So, sign up for a 5K, run with a friend or your husband to help motivate you and encourage your distance.  We enjoyed making fun of each other in the beginning for how out of shape we were for not being able to make a mile, but then it turned to encouragement and praise for the longer distances.

You will see results and gain a since of pride and accomplishment that hitting the gym everyday won’t quite give you.  Who knows, you could be a runner after all!

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