Running the 'Hood- A Vehicle to Finding Myself

The very first 5K I ever did was the Inaugural Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans Virtual 5K in 2009.  Those were the days when I was a very newbie runner where every single run was an painful enlightening experience for me.  Ya'll already know that I like to run most of the times except when I don't and today was no exception.

The ONLY 5K's I have ever done have been the virtual ones with The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans.  You see, it typically takes me a good 1-2 miles to actually feel like I am running, to work out the kinks of my 39 year old, still 15lbs overweight body.  My favorite miles to run are 4-5-6, so yeah, I just don't do 5k's.

Except with Shrinking Jeans.  I love my girls over there- heck, a lot of them are the ones who kept me running when my body was resisting me the entire way during my Team in Training-1/2 marathon days in 2010.  If it wasn't for this lovely, wonderful, supportive group of women, I am positive I would have thrown in the towel then and been done with running once and for all.

This morning I did the Run the 'Hood Virtual 5K with Shrinking Jeans.  My third year to do it.  2009- time of 39 minutes.  2010- I was worn down and taking a break from running, so I purposely did not record my time but completed the mileage anyway.

2011- I wanted to involve my family this time and the only way for us to make it work was for my husband and I to take turns running 1 mile sprints while the other stayed with the kids at the playground.  So that's what we did and it worked for us.  Granted, I had long rest periods between each mile and so my time is a cumulative time and not a consecutive time, but WHATEVER.  I got that 5K done and IN THE BANK.  (And so did my husband).

Total time of 32.02 min.  1st mile- 10:25min, 2nd mile- 10:20min, 3rd mile- 10:17min and change for that .1 mile.  Negative splits.  PR- Personal Record.

Yeah, I know that I kinda cheated with those breaks between each mile but I'm claiming this as victory anyway because ya'll, I normally run 11-12 minute miles.  I don't run 10-11min miles and when I do, it's not back to back miles.

I am freaking pumped about my times!  And look, I can and did run consistent 10-ish minute miles.  Could I really do it consecutively, like all at one time?!  I don't know but I think so and wow- ya'll don't even know what a breakthrough this is for me.

I have ALWAYS considered myself as a slow runner and had finally come to terms with that this past year.  I would get annoyed jealous when my faster runner friends would complain about *their* slow runs of 9/10/11 min miles.  When I started my running journey, I was squeaking out 13 minute miles so yeah, I was completely envious of those who could crank out 9/10/11 minute miles, mile after mile after mile.

But look, I think I just might be the *little engine that could*.  I have not given up on running, through all the aches and pains and self-discovery, I have kept at it.  Through heat, humidity, cold, and rain- I have kept at it.  Through logistical nightmares of coordinating runs with the hubby, and the kids and juggling life- I have kept at it.   Through feeling awkward and slow and bumbling and slow again, I have kept at it.

I am so damn proud of myself, I can't even stand it.

Thank you Shrinking Jeans, for giving me this gift of running, for giving me the vehicle of finding myself.