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New Running Records! #13in2013

I ran a 10K yesterday.

You have no idea how monumental this is. Me. The girly-girl who couldn’t run a mile without walking… or getting bored… or wimping out. Me, the girl who brought an entire camping trip home early because I couldn’t walk up a mountain.

I tried to be a runner my whole life. It started in high school. My best friend and I would go to the track and run. She was on the track team. I could barely make it a mile.

In college I tried again. I would run a few miles here and there, but it never stuck.

I tried again as a young mom, but the boredom took over. I just couldn’t find the joy in it.

Then a few years ago I went out for a walk. I was bored walking so I started running. Every day I would run one more mailbox. I got myself some earphones and an iPod Touch to keep me company on my runs, and before I knew it I was running two miles. Then three.

I had some setbacks… knee problems… I tried the Vibrams, and they helped. For a time. Three miles became the norm. Then four.

I ran a race, where my only goal was to break 30 minutes. I surprised myself by coming in at 29:03.

The next one was a bit of a disappointment, but I got some redemption in my 3rd 5K last Thanksgiving Day when I scored a new personal best at 28:32.

In January I ran my 4th 5K at 28:36, which was fine by me. I just wanted to prove that I could do it again.

Last Saturday I ran again. It was the day before St. Patrick’s Day and the racers were quite festive, decked out in green tutus and wigs. I wasn’t feeling well and had no great ambitions. But once the gun went off, I was flying. I never felt better, and my official time came in at 28:14, although my Garmin tells a different story. Unfortunately I shut it off just short of the 3.10 mile-mark, but since the race wasn’t chip timed, I like to think my final time was closer to 28 minutes.

Either way, I’ve been flying high ever since!!

Afterwards everyone gathered at an Irish pub to celebrate. You can imagine how festive it was, the day before St. Paddy’s Day!

Yesterday morning I got together with a couple of friends for a virtual 10K — that’s six point two miles, y’all!!! I was hoping to get it in under one hour, but my final time was 1:02:41 — not too shabby considering it was my first time running that far, and the last mile I was running uphill and against the wind. I’ll take it! It was a blustery day, but we did it — Whitney, Dottie and I! SIX-POINT-TWO MILES! Smiling all the way!

My body aches, my feet are shot, but I feel like a rockstar. Six miles. POINT. TWO!

I hope I can keep up this pace. I know I need to see a doctor about my bone spurs. I know I should ice my feet… take it easy… get a massage. Maybe the massage I can handle.

But for now? I am flying high. I ache. Everywhere. But I’m doing it. I’m out there. Running. Getting better. Faster. Stronger. Me, the girly-girl. The weakling that brought a college course to its knees. This 40-year-old mom of three who never played a sport in her life. I’m a runner. Hear me roar!

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18 Responses

  1. I can’t run because of bad knees, but I love reading all about your running adventures. Very inspiring. And if I ever get this baby out of my belly, I’ll use you as inspiration when I get back out there and start exercising again. 🙂

  2. YAY FOR YOU!!!!!!!! that’s AWESOME!!!!!
    I ran a couple of years ago doing race after race & getting slower & slower, fall 2011 I quit altogether & have played w/the thought, even pretended to ‘get back to it’ a couple of times. but nothing is inspiring me to get past the knee pain & do it…
    BUT your post… thanks!!!

    1. The Vibrams really helped my knees…. although I guess they just shifted the pressure to my feet. I need to get into the orthopedist and see what I should be doing to manage my bone spurs. But definitely consider getting back out there! Even if you don’t race, just for the feel of the wind on your face! 🙂

    1. Not sure yet. I have the Butterfly Run on my cal but it’s only a week away. May not want to race again so soon. Then I’m doing Nick Smiles on May 18 in W.C. with my BIL and SIL. What others are there?

      1. I’m doing the Phillies 5K on Saturday and the Adoptions from the Heart 5K at Delaware County Community College on April 14th. I know that it’s a Sunday but it’s literally right across the street from church so I think that I can run and still make it to church (sans shower but it should not be a hot day)! I need a race for May but am doing Color Me Rad in June.

  3. Go you!! That’s great! It always awesome to feel so great about something you’ve accomplished! Can’t wait to read about more of your running! #13in2013 🙂

  4. Way to go! I am nursing a sprained ankle currently. Yesterday was the first time I ran in over a week. I had to take it easy, but was so happy the ankle held up. Looking forward to reading more of your running posts. 🙂

  5. Congrats and way to go!! That was a really inspiring post. I plan on doing my first 5K next month and this motivates me to keep up my train.

  6. Really well done! I think it can be one of the hardest things to achieve. I train people to run 10k and I can tell you that they all find it hard. For many getting the breathing right is one of the hardest things as getting it wrong means you tend to burn out too quickly. You’ve proved that it can be done with the right perserverance and determination. Awesome! Onwards and upwards. So a marathon next Jo-Lynne?!

  7. Are you still running in your vibrams? Congrats on your 10K. I did my first 10K Mar. 3, 2013 and I know exactly how you feel! Fantastic!

    1. No, I had some foot problems and I switched to minimalist sneakers. I keep trying out new ones, lol. I still am having foot problems and really need to get to the doc, but they aren’t getting worse so I keep putting it off. 🙂

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