The 5K Siren Call

5K's are all around us.  Have you noticed that?  It seems like when I've finally decided never, ever to do another 5K it seems like everyone on the planet is holding one for an amazing cause.  The 5K is out there, and I've been hiding from it like Katniss hid from Cato, but I know it's going to get me if I'm not careful.

I decided last week that I was going to run in a race held annually in my town to benefit local non-profit organizations.  Let me tell you the benefits of running in the town you live in (population 5,000) when you run like I do:

1)  you are making a difference in your community
2)  you are SEEN making a difference in your community
2)  ummm.....

That's all I got.

Let me tell you the disadvantages of running a 5K in my condition alongside every person I have ever met:

1)  When I run I look worse than I did during any of my three childbirth experiences.
2)  They take pictures at these things...that go in the newspaper.  Newspapers are forever.
3)  Emergency personnel will be running so far ahead they will never know I have collapsed 3 miles back.
4)  I will be last.  Dead last.  Behind Old Man McGillicutty and his walker.
5)  The whole rest of the celebration - and in essence, the entire town - will be awaiting the moment I crawl across the finish line.
6)  My husband will (if he's smart) be wearing a paper bag on his head as I pass...if he shows up to root me on.
7)  I will always compare that race time to my PR, no matter how young and/or in shape I was at that time.

So I recalled an old route I had mapped for 3.2 miles around town and gave it a shot.  My first time was 38:49 - not as bad as it could have been.  My second time was 43:48.  I truly almost died on that run.  I was literally halfway when I almost hitchhiked home, but that's not safe so I hauled my sorry butt back home the rest of the way in that 98 degree heat.  My feet hurt, my legs hurt, my lungs hurt, and most importantly my pride hurt.  Needless to say I talked myself out of signing up for that 5K.  There's no way I would show my face at that race with that sorry time.  (Besides, I'm too late to get the t-shirt, and really, why bother running if you can't get the shirt?!)

My heel had been killing me for some time, literally screaming at me to either buy a new pair of shoes or insoles or I would die running on these "flat tires".  So the other day (payday) I drove my car up to Dick's Sporting Goods and bought those $20 insoles.  This morning armed with my new insoles I tackled that same 3.2 miles...with a time of 36:31. To quote the immortal Finn the Human, "YAAAAAAY-yuh!!"

Soooooo as of today I'm gonna do it.  There's a 5K coming up in October that my church is sponsoring called the River Run for Orphans (http://kansascity.riverrunfororphans.org/).  Wish me luck.  You will be with me every step of the way because I plan to post my running times here.  Hang with me as my times hopefully improve.

And no, I'm not signing up for the one in my town next weekend.  I won't run if I can't wear a t-shirt badge of honor for years to come.  Selfish?  Nah....just good old fashioned and well-executed procrastination.  :)