Never thought I would ever be saying that I just ran in my first 5k but that's exactly what I did last night. This time last year I had declared myself a sweat hater and said swimming was the only exercise I would do. But because I was diagnosed as pre diabetic and pre hypertensive in January, I knew I had to make some changes and make them fast.
After my diagnosis, I called my oldest son, Kyle, who was in his senior year in college, majoring in nutrition. He advised me on what to eat and suggested I start walking at least. Now I not only hated sweating (and I don't even like using the word 'hate' so using it here shows just how much I disliked exercise etc) I also hated wearing tennis shoes. Because Kyle had been a runner since junior high and had sold athletic shoes for several years, he took me shoe shopping. He was very patient as I tried on pair after pair. Kyle listened to each issue I had with each pair until he found the perfect pair. And quite the shoes they are! Lime green with hot pink shoe strings!
Now I absolutely love those shoes except for the fact that my pedicure doesn't show. Of course I have my open toed 5 inch heel platform shoes for that! And yes, I do enjoy wearing my high heels best. But when I put on those lime green and hot pink running shoes I'm revived, refreshed and sweating like crazy!
So anyway, a couple of months ago I decided to prepare to run a 5k but wasn't going to tell Kyle. My plan was to run and then text him a picture to show him what I had done. Somehow he caught on to my little scheme. He texted me and told me he was running with me in my first 5k. About a month later I got an email just as I finished running in my neighborhood. It was from Christian Women's Job Corp (CWJC). Since I had mentored with CWJC and felt like it was an organization very much worth supporting, their Rock and Glow run seemed the perfect 5k for me. And Kyle was all set to run right by mom, encouraging.....like a drill sergeant!
Race day finally arrived! As we talked about the race yesterday and I asked what to expect etc, Kyle began to feel that competitive urge and decided he might just race instead of running along with me. As I didn't want to hold him back, I encouraged him to do just that. So we showed up at the Rock and Glow 5k, he in his lime green shirt and shoes and me in my hot pink top and lime green and pink shoes, and ran! It was SO MUCH FUN!!!!!!!
At the end of the first mile I was surprised to have a time of 9:07! Of course Kyle was way ahead of me and that was good. When I looked at my running app at around 22 minutes I figured he had completed the course. He had and finished with a time of 22:30, which he thought was terrible. He came in 3rd over all (sorry I tweeted that he came in 2nd but that's what I get for tweeting right at the end of the race and before oxygen had starting reaching my brain again) and he started back to encourage mom. With about 3/4 of a mile to go, I started hearing Kyle's voice. He was cheering other runners on, encouraging them, telling them they were doing a good job. As I rounded the curve I saw my son waiting for me. When he saw me he started cheering for mom! I got to where he was standing and he started running with me. That drill sergeant in him kicked in! Every few steps Kyle would tell me I could do better and "faster mom, you can do this." "Don't let these people beat you!" "Look! I'm walking faster than you are running!". I thought I was going to throw up and told him so. Kyle's response....if you don't throw up while running, you aren't running hard enough! He pointed out the big clock at the end of the race and told me to watch it. My fastest time while practicing had been 33:49. And yes, I know that's not 'burning it up' but when you are 52 years old and only started running that distance 2 months prior, I was pleased with that time. Not Kyle though. He wanted me to do even better. So in 90+ degree weather and humidity heavy enough to choke somebody, I did my best to beat my fastest time and not throw up in the process. And I did it thanks to Kyle! My time was 32:45! I didn't throw up. I didn't fall. I didn't get lost. And I finished the race with more people behind me than in front of me!
Let me now encourage everyone to exercise! Sweating is still not my favorite thing. But after changing my diet and starting to get real exercise, I am no longer pre diabetic and no longer pre hypertensive. I have lost a bunch of weight....new clothes yea!!!!! I feel better than I have in years. And while I believe I look a little younger too, being mistaken as my 22 year old son's wife instead of his mother last night, was a bit much but a real hoot! :)
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