I did a pretty poor job documenting this 5K.
Buuuuuut, there I am pushing towards the finish line ^^^ Woohoo!
I started training on May 8th and this race, the Camano Island Crab Dash, was on June 23rd. I had been thinking about getting back to running, but hadn’t really committed to it. Then a mama friend at church kicked off a Mom Bod Challenge. I paid my $10, set some goals, and registered for the Crab Dash.
My health goals were to …
- Drink 100 ounces of water each day
- Be active every day – running/hiking/walking
- Run a 5K without stopping
- Massively cut back on my dessert intake
Today marks week 7 of the challenge. It ends on July 4th. I won’t be winning (we’re calculating the winner by greatest % lost), but I kind of knew that going in. For me, a win was going to be meeting MY goals.
Results so far …
- I’d say I’ve hit my water goal 5/7 days each week.
- I have been active EVERY SINGLE DAY since the challenge began – logged 101 miles since May 8th! Eek!
- Ran my race and have registered for another in August to keep my momentum.
- Still love desserts, but say no WAY more often than I used to and when I do indulge, I have one instead of a dozen
I’m happier, healthier, and as a result have also lost 10 pounds. Which was still technically weight from baby #3. Coincidently that’s when I last ran too, when I was pregnant with Reid and training for a 5 mile race.
So, a recap fo this race. It was a loop race, which I love since I get to see something different the entire time. My goal was under 36-38 minutes. I had been running roughly 12 minutes miles throughout my training, but I also think that my phone app GPS was off sometimes due to losing service where I run. I also trained on mostly flat terrain and didn’t really know what this course was like so I wanted a little grace for potential hills. And there were.
But I didn’t stop, I took each hill in stride and kept my breathing steady. I ran the entire 3.1 miles. No walk breaks at all. For most of the race I listed to the NPR Hidden Brain episode called Kinder-Gardening. So good. Bookmark it and give it a listen soon. Then I switched to a my Mother Runner mix and crossed the finish line to Katy Perry’s Dark Horse. Just the beat I needed to finish strong. Chip time of 33:04.5 and a pace of 10:49! Way better than I expected! Especially when you take those hills into account!
I paced two gals for the majority of the race. One was always ahead of me and one would pass me, then fall behind, pass, fall, pass, fall. The last half mile I picked up pace and passed them both! I love that I felt so strong at the end, that I kept my pace well in the beginning and was able to kick it up at the end.
Mamas, if you don’t think you can run. I promise, you can! I am not athletic and quite uncoordinated. Training isn’t easy. But you do hit a stride where it feels good. Where adrenaline pushes you forward and you feel so accomplished after each run. Even the rough runs. Because you know you got your miles in and gave it a good effort. This is the free app I have used to move from non-running to 5K finisher – 3 times now, it works!
Now, with the wrap up of this challenge around the corner and a good 5K time under my belt I’m not stopping. Mark my words I’m going to keep running and not let get myself lose this momentum.
To stay on track, I’m …
- Reviewing this book
- Planning to buy a used treadmill so I can keep up my efforts when the weather turns
- Researching some cross-training options to protect my old lady knees/ankles
- Eating lots of nourishing food – working out while still breastfeeding requires CALORIES
Have tips to keep me going strong? Share them, pretty please!
Race Recaps — First 5K, Second 5K, 5-Miler