My First 5K

Well, I did it!

I completed my first 5k – Run for Wounded Heroes in Kennesaw. I feel good overall even though I didn’t train for it nearly as much as I had intended.

I left the house at 7:00 & got to the parking area about 15 minutes later. I was nervous about finding a parking space, but thankfully, I was able to find one in a grassy field. I debated about whether I’d have time to come back to my car before the race but decided to take everything I’d need with me in case. I’m glad I did! I had my belt, phone, ear buds, car key and license (just in case!). I also had my Gym Boss timer with me, but I didn’t end up using it.

I found the line to pick up my bib without any problems, and I had twenty minutes to wait until the start at 8:00am. I wanted to use Runkeeper to track my walk/run, so it was a little awkward figuring out when to start it & put my phone in my belt before the race actually started.

Off we go with a bang, and I realize the music in my Runkeeper app isn’t working (this has happened to me before). So here I am with ear buds in and no music & a ton of people around me. I can’t & don’t want to stop, so after jogging for 30 seconds or so, I slowed to a walk and put the headphones in my belt. At this point, I reach up to get my sunglasses off my head and my headband I’d been wearing falls off. A man behind me said, “You dropped something!” and I said, “Yeah, I know. Oh well.” There was no way I was going to stop amidst all those people and get it.

Not off to a good start. But I kept going, jogging until I felt like walking, and then jogging again. I passed the one-mile mark in Swift Cantrell Park under 14 minutes, which is good for me. As soon as you see the mile marker, it gives you motivation to go a little bit faster!

I did walk a majority of it, though, which is fine with me. The humidity was heavy, so I was slick with sweat by mile 2. There’s a big hill leading back into Kennesaw, so once I crested the hill, I jogged the rest of the way to the finish line and finished in 42.04 (or something like that).

According to my Runkeeper app, I went 3.8 miles in 44.26. I didn’t stop the activity until a minute or two after I finished, but 3.8 miles is a bit different from 3.1! I wonder which was more accurate?

There was a woman ushering people to the right, so I followed her direction…and felt utterly confused. Where’s the water? The bags? The t-shirts? I finally had to ask someone, and they directed me to the right spot, to the left of the finish line.

The line for t-shirts was insanely long, and I couldn’t even see if there were specific lines – it was just one mass of people. Thankfully, I happened to be in the line for size small, which is what I needed! I grabbed a goody bag and then high-tailed it to my car. All I could think was fuel & shower.

I am currently enjoying a fried egg and cheese sandwich as I type this, feeling good that I accomplished a goal.