Shape Shifter: I ran my 5K!!

I guess that with anything, sometimes you just don't know until you give it a try. So the experience of running in my first 5K was great...but I know much more of what I will do for my next race. Here is the list of things learned:

#1. If the race ends at a destination other than where we began, there WILL be someone there to pick me up at the finish line. We had to wait for over an hour on the buses that were transporting the racers back to the starting line. Of course, there were those who just turned around and ran back to the starting line...show offs! :)

#2. If the race is in the morning...which most all of them are...it might be prudent to train at least a few times in the morning. All of our workouts were completed in the evening. Since it is the summer and I don't have to be worried about being at work early...I have decided to try training in the morning. I just did not feel like I had the same energy I was used to running with.

#3. Must eat something more substantial before racing. Sadly, I must confess to eating a package of powdered donuts before my race. We stayed with my sister in Aubrey, which was an hour away, and had to be there by 7:30a.m.---so we just stopped at a convenience store real quick. The donuts were not a great source of lasting energy.

#4. If it is humid where I race...I should train with a humidifier attached to my face! Seriously, it was SOO humid and there was absolutely NO breeze...I thought I was going to die!

#5. Since they attach a device to your shoelace that keeps track of your time, there is absolutely no need to start off with the rest of the crowd. Call me a little anti-social, but I do not like people in my space...and there were so many people invading. Next race, I think that I will just hang back for a bit and start at the end of the crowd. The crowd was a good experience...now I know what to expect.

#6. Not everyone runs. This is totally fine---not a problem. However, I don't like being the basis for someone deciding to run. Meaning that there was a group of ladies that would walk, until I started to try to pass them, then they would haul off and run...at a faster pace than I was going. Then once they got up a ways, they would start walking...that is until I got close and started to try passing them again...so they would run. More than a little annoying. I am thinking of taking a taser next race...that should take them out. hehe

#7. Need some form of water while running. Usually while running, I don't require water until after I am finished. However, I am usually running when it is nice and cool. They had water at mile marker #1, which I drank...but there wasn't any more until the end of the race. Needless to say, by the time I made it to the finish line, I was parched and frothing at the mouth. Not very appealing sounding, but even more unappealing to experience.

#8. Smile at the dude taking the pictures as you run. They e-mailed pics of each of us running and I look more that slightly perturbed. I look flat out pissed. Which really, if you haven't gotten the gist by all of the many things I have learned from this one race...I wasn't exactly exuberant. However, pissy does not make for a cute keepsake photo. Fortunately my running buddy took one with her phone...so I will probably just use that one.

All in all, I had a blast. It was a great experience and I am glad to have completed a goal that has been on my New Year's Resolutions for probably about 8 years. I am also glad that I completed it before my birthday this summer. I am turning 29...perhaps I will be able to run a marathon before I turn 30! I will take that goal one step at a time. For now, I will just begin to train for a 10K. My goal is to run a 10K Labor Day weekend. I am also going to run in another 5K in a few weeks close to here...I want to keep up the progress I have made.