Running with a Walker

Remember that list of goals that I want to accomplish this year?  Goal Number 5 is to run a 5K.  A couple of weeks ago, I amended that to finish a 5K.  I don’t even know why I put this on the goal list.  I’ve never been a runner.  In high school, when you had to do the mandatory mile run to show how fit you were, I made it half-way around the first lap and then walked the next three and a half.  When I told my brother about the 5K, he asked if I even knew how to run.  He’s not very optimistic that I’m gonna accomplish this goal.

Have I been working towards it?  Occasionally, I run around the house with a string for Phoebe the cat to chase.  And I’ve walked around the neighborhood three times with Scruffy.  Other than that, not really.  Until tonight. 

A few months ago, Caesar Rodney advised me to join a running club.  I didn’t…exercise is a lot of work!  Then Richmond came over and said she was interested in joining Females in Training (FIT) through the local running club.  We signed up (even though there was a part of me that really wanted to “forget” to mail the check by the deadline).  Last week, Richmond went to the first session by herself…I was on vacation and couldn’t make it.  All the ladies ran time trials so they knew what groups they were going to be placed in.  If you ran a mile under 10 minutes, you were put in the A Runner group; over 10 minutes, you were put in the B Runner group.  There’s also a group for Run-Walkers and Walkers.  Richmond is in the A Runner group.  I didn’t run the time trial but I can tell you that even if I had, I most definitely would not be in the A Runner group.  When I signed in tonight and told the coaches my running history, they put me in the Run-Walker group.  So, Richmond goes off with the other A Runners and I go off with the Run-Walkers. 

The Run-Walkers walk for five minutes, run for two minutes, walk for five minutes and then repeat two more times.  I was okay for the first cycle except that my sweatpants kept falling down a little.  I have to get running pants, not to mention running shoes, running socks, a sports bra, and a little pouch to put my keys in.  These were the things I was thinking during that first cycle.  The second cycle was a little more intense, I was thinking that even though the doctor said my heart was fine, I was pretty sure it was going to explode.  The third cycle was basically just a long walk.  But I finished without collapsing.  And everyone clapped for each other at the end.  That's always nice.

I met up with Richmond in the parking lot at the end…her group ran two miles through the neighborhood, without stopping.  Now, I have another goal...to be able to run with Richmond without stopping.  Our graduation race is July 10^th.  Hopefully, we'll be running it together!