BNA 5K 2013

For the first annual Be Not Afraid 5K, I was big and pregnant, so I helped behind the registration desk. This year, I actually ran it!

There were four other ladies there jogging in skirts, so I was not the only oddball!

I haven't run a 5K in about ten years, but I used to be quite athletic. Seriously, you'd never guess it now.

My goal today was simply to finish the three miles. I was doubtful I could because, even though Chris and I have been training the couch-to-5K for about three months, I never had enough time in a given workout to jog three miles. With four such little children, I really need Chris to watch the children while I exercise, but I'm so slow that I use up the little time we have to spare doing just a mile and a half or two miles. So, I went into this 5K still never having jogged (with stops!) longer than 2.5 miles, usually just two miles. In fact, the last three of four weeks, Chris has been gone on business trips, so then my training is taking neighborhood walks with the children (ha!) or jogging on the treadmill while the baby naps, hopping off every few minutes to tend to mischief. Not exactly efficacious.

Thus my goal: just finish this thing!

(Chris got an ankle injury about two weeks ago and his ankle is still delicate, so he decided to stay back with the children, lest he injure it worse and then be unable to keep up with his exercise that he's been able to maintain carefully all this time.)

I was slow, pushing along Joseph in my jog stroller. I was at the back of the pack. I was jogging alongside the slowest children and some grandparents, feeling like my heart would burst out of my chest. I watched people walking past me and I couldn't keep up with them "jogging."

But I made my goal! I finished the thing! My time was 44 minutes and a few seconds.

At the last bend, my 6- and 4-year-olds came running toward me. My heart absolutely sank because I thought that meant I'd taken more than an hour to finish, as the one-mile children's fun run was set to begin at that time. I put on a brave, cheerful face, only to learn that they were only just running out to meet me and run in the last feet with me: HOW SWEET IS THAT?!

Then it was time for the one-mile fun run!

Precious Mary rested on Daddy's shoulders at the starting line . . .

And they were off!

The starting line

John ran the whole mile in about ten minutes! Coming across the finish line . . .

Mary ran on her own two feet most of the race, but then Daddy ran with her on his shoulders for the last feet of the mile.

Chris joking that he was shoving aside a fellow racer in order to cross the finish line

Look at that joy!

All the participants in the fun run received medals. These are now utterly prized possessions in our home.

Beaming with pleasure!