My 1st 5k experience

Followers of the blog have read about my training for the Heart Mini 5k race that took place this past weekend. This was the first 5k run I've participated in and I can say that it won't be my last! Overall, I had a really good time being part of the event and found the course to be challenging, yet not too bad that I don't want to run ever again!

Mother nature was not too happy over the weekend, so the temps were cool (in the 40s) and the rain came down in spurts throughout the whole morning this past Sunday. Despite these elements, I laced up my new jogging shoes, wore my running pants & our nice new Local 12 team shirts for the Heart Association race. For the larger organized races, runners get a chip to attach to their shoes that tracks their run time & breaks the total time into the pace of each mile ran. I hadn't heard about this part, so when I found the chip in my registration bag, I was a little surprised about how to attach it..but from the photo below, you can tell we got them attached just fine!
JJ and I line up side by side, near the back of the starting line and started our iPods just before the gun sounded to start the race! It was a slow start with almost 1,700 people who ran/walked in the 5k race. (Overall there were over 13,000 people who participated in the Heart Mini Marathon weekend events.) We started out with a slow walk, all huddled together because of the cold and wet rain that came down right as we crossed the start line.

I felt really good for the 1st mile of the run, slow and steady wins the race, I kept telling myself! Heading out of downtown Cincinnati was a great feeling as I was checking out all the different people jogging beside me. The first half of the race included a small incline, but mostly downhill - which is great - but b/c this course was an "out & back", the second half of the race included that dreaded steady incline that felt so nice jogging downhill! At the halfway point (1.5miles), I hit the water stop and turned the corner to head up that hill. I kept telling myself, steady and strong, remembering about my form, trying not to hunch over as my feet shuffled along. I almost made it up the incline without walking, but my breathing got the best of me, and I decided to take a break and walk it out. Once the pavement leveled out, I picked up my pace and jogged it in the rest of the way! Just as we approached the finish line, I popped out my ear buds and heard all the other runners and people cheering us on as we stepped across the finish line. It was really awesome and such an amazing feeling to have completed my first 5k!
I definitely had the "runner's high" that morning, enjoying putting that medal around my neck (and wearing it ALL day long when we got home). I can't say that I'll be a marathoner, but I'll be signing up for more 5k runs and will keep jogging as part of my weekly exercise routine for sure! There will be some pics from along the race route posted soon, so check back in you're interested in seeing us in action. Thanks again for all your support throughout this journey.