About 6 months ago, I decided to try to live a more active lifestyle. I try to eat healthy, but eating well isn't always enough. I still felt tired and lazy and unmotivated. To be active and to choose to move was my new goal.
I wanted to be more energetic, have more endurance, to challenge myself and reward myself with my new found strength. This meant less time being sedentary and more time moving. I wanted to hike and bike and swim and paddle: all things that would be difficult to in this part of the country during that time of year. But there was one thing I could do, run.
I told myself that "running more" and "exercising frequently" was too ambiguous of a goal. No, to really make sure that I didn't stray, I needed something more tangible. I needed a number. So my New Years resolution was to run a 5k. I got a gym membership, enlisted my us and as my training partner and set my eyes on the Illinois marathon 5k event.
I've lived here for almost 7 years and always viewed the annual race event as an inconvenience. A reason for everyone to run aimlessly while I try to dodge runners on my way to and from work. But now that I was one of those people, I had to prove myself worthy. I wasn't going to phone it in, I was going to run the whole thing. Rather than just participate and say that I completed the 5k, I was going to run it and run it to the best of my ability.
I trained regularly every week since January for this moment. When I first started, I could barely run a mile, let alone 5k straight. I pushed myself and did not lose faith and yesterday I completed my first 5k in 33 minutes, my personal best.
There were many motivators during the race, like the cheer of the bystanders, the perfect weather conditions, the flat land versus the inclines I trained on, etc. But I have to admit my main focus, and surprise motivator was a group of about a dozen marching band students, carrying sousaphones and running the 5k in my section. I refused to think that I trained for 5 months only to be bested by people that had 35 pounds of metal hanging over their backs. It's to them I give my unexpected thanks to help me shave an extra 5 minutes off of my normal total running time. You the real MVPs.
Anyway, my first race is completed and I can hang up my medal. It felt great and I would be lying if I said this would be my last. Thanks to hubby's dissertation writing schedule, painting, board games and running have become my new favorite hobbies and passions.
-Akemi-chan
