Spa 5k/10k: First Race since December 2009

Well, this morning I ran my first race since December of last year.

Let me start from the beginning (we all know this could take a while... haha)
In December of 2008 I decided I no longer wanted to smoke-I loved smoking, as nasty as that is. My reason for wanting to kick the habit was I wanted to lose weight.  I had been doing aerobic classes at the local YMCA, but just wasn't seeing the result I wanted.  So I thought to myself, "Meghan, you should run."  Who tells themselves such things?  Me.  However, in order to run I needed to stop smoking because I could not breath, especially since I have asthma (who smokes and has asthma?  Dummies like ME).  So, I quit.

And I began the couch to 5K running program the 6th of December, 2008.  In February I saw something about a running clinic for women, it was the "Women Can Run" clinic sponsored by a local running group, the Spa Pacers.  So, in Feb of 2009 I started that.  I remember the night we had to run a while two minutes without walking, we were all dying at the end.  It was pretty pathetic.  But hey, everyone has to start somewhere!!!  So, those of us who finished the clinic went on to run the 5K race the first week of May.  It was really awesome to finish the race; it felt like a really big deal at the time.  I finished my very first 5K ever in 38 minutes, on a flat paved surface.  That's pretty slow, but I did it!

After that I jumped right in.  I started running 2 & 3 times a week with the pacers,  ran 1-2 races a month; a few of them were just 2 milers, but they were fun and helped me push my pace.  I was not what I would call a "real runner."  I did not do speed work on the track, or run hill repeats for endurance and strength.  I just ran to run and get fit; despite all my running,  time in the gym, and diet changes I did not lose any weight, I just toned.  In July of 09 I lost my brother and got pretty depressed; I stopped running until September when I ran the Ashley Scott 5K in Bartlett, down the road from my Dad's house.  (It was a race in her honor after she lost her life due to domestic violence.)  Anyways, when I got home, I began the training for the Spa 10K/5K, and I chose to run the 10K.  I am proud to say it goes over the mountain and I ran my little heart out... slowly.  I finishes in 80 minutes.  But I did it!!

In Dec of 2009, we found out we were having a baby, but I started the women can run clinic in Feb. because I was determined to run.. yea that didn't last long.  I quit running and started Yoga at 20 weeks.  haha  Yoga is not quite as physically demanding as running, however and i lost most of the super great muscle I had built running the last year.

So, longer story long: this time I trained 7 weeks (I started the clinic late) about 2xs a week.  This race was a good accomplishment for me, exactly 11 weeks & one day after Lexie was born.  My official time was 39:54, which is a 12:54mi average.  There was a lady who is like 60-70 years old that walked the race faster than I ran it.  I finished 116th out of 144 women.  But, I only have room for improvement, right?!

The pros:
*I proved to myself I could do it
*the first 1.5 miles were up hill, but the second half was mostly back down all those continuous hills
*I got to run with my running buddies in the Spa Pacers again
*it encouraged me to keep running for fun/fitness

The Cons:
*I proved to myself I could do it, which means I have no excuse for pooping out on easy runs
*the first 1.5 miles were up hill, which were dang hard to run up one after the other (on the way there, there are only a few downhills, as you just keep climbing up and up until you turn around!)
*it encouraged me to continue running!  What was I thinking?!  jk 

It is fun and I am looking forward to my Mondays and Thursdays with my running friends!  Also, I would not have started the clinic and ran this race if not for the encouragement of some super great friends and all those wonderful Spa Pacers that helped with the clinic and race!  I hope to be so encouraging to others who want to being exercising and running, but just don't know where to start,

Congrats to everyone that raced and I hope to see you on the road.