My First 5K

Today I ran my first running race-the Boston Scientific Heart Of Summer 5K. It was so much more than I expected. The race was so well-organized and the atmosphere was filled with excitement and anticipation. The adrenaline and endorphins flowed and it was intoxicating. Was I nervous? No, not really. It was just a 3.1 mile run with my training group. Little did I know how wonderful it would be. I kept up a great pace throughout the whole race and ran faster than I expected. Once the finish line was in sight, the few people I was running with (experienced racers) started to speed up and sprint. Though I was tired, their momentum was contagious. I started sprinting to the finish line and about 10 seconds before crossing had a wave of emotions crossover me. People warned me about this for your first ever race/run. I thought about all of those in my family who suffered from heart problems and those who I love who have left this earth because of a heart attack, heart failure or other cardiovascular cause. I almost burst into tears as I crossed the line, glanced at the clock to get a view of my time (33:53) and slowed to a stop to be greeted by my fellow trainers and coaches with high fives and praises of "great job!"; "way to go!". It was so bittersweet, but my immediate thought was: "This was awesome! When is the next 5K that I can run?".

The proceeds from the races go towards heart disease prevention and treatment programs around the Twin Cities. A huge portion goes to a program at my employers organization called the Women's Heart Advantage to offer free cardiovascular screenings (blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar) to women and offer counseling on the results.

When will be my next 5K? Not sure, but I will definitely find another before the end of the warm weather season!

Julia and me just before the race started

My running encouragement and who I run for

This is what Julia was doing while mommy was running the race...playing on the beach/playground with grandma and grandpa

Finished!