Monday, April 7, 2014

Blacklight Run 2014


Several months back Britni mentioned doing a 5K.  I see people post about running and doing 5K’s and they always look like fun.  Robert and  I had joined the local gym last summer and I had been pretty sporadic about going since school started.  Britni also convinced me to try the T25 workout program which I was also sporadic about doing that as well.  When Britni mentioned doing a 5K called the Blacklight Run, I thought why not give it a shot.  I googled Couch to 5K workouts and got busy.  I started strong and then got sick and laid off a week.  Then I had to clean house and organize for a birthday party and laid off another week.  It was getting closer and closer and I finally got back to regularly working out but not soon enough!!  The week of the run I went to the gym Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.  On Wednesday we loaded up all the 5th graders for a 3 day 2 night trip to Sky Ranch.  On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday I walked the hills at Sky Ranch.  I knew I wasn’t really in the shape I needed to be for a 5K run but I decided to do it anyway and get the feel for doing a run even though I might have to walk a lot. 
We left Britni’s house about 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 22 thinking we would get there in plenty of time to get settled and figure out where and what to do.  Wrong!!  When we got to the last turn before entering the race designation the traffic was stalled.  The other 11,998 runners decided to get there at the same time.  We sat in traffic for 2 hours.  Britni was ready to give in and frankly I wasn’t totally against that idea.  However, we have always told our children to finish what you start.  You may not do it next time but if you commit, you need to follow it through.  Chuck was driving and Chandler, Rainey and Kinsler were there to cheer us on.  We eventually got parked and went in to the baseball complex.  It was cold, threatening rain and it was a mad house!!!  We stood in line for what we thought was check in but we had already picked up our bib number and t-shirt – essentially we had pre-checked in.  We headed behind the field where the run was to take place and the line which was already forming was long!!  At this point it is closer to 8:30.  Chuck decided to take the kids and feed them and wait for us in the warmth of the vehicle.  Britni and I headed out to get in line.  It was cold and she was still smelling French fries and wanted to just eat and go home.  It didn’t help that 2 of her friends who had also signed up to run backed out.  I was determined we were going to do it if I had a heart attack trying!!!  I told her  - no, we sat in 2 hours of traffic and we were not about to back out.  Of course I had to keep convincing myself to continue.    Mainly I didn’t want to go back home and tell all my friends that knew I was planning to run a 5K that I had backed out.  It’s that stubborn streak that my family says I have!!!  We finally got in line and it moved fairly quickly.  They sent runners in waves about every 8-10 minutes. 
 It was close to 9:30 when we finally made it to the starting line and they sent us off.  We finished the 3 mile run in about 40 minutes which I was very proud of for a first run. 
 We only walked a little when the crowd of runners was so bunched up that we couldn’t get around and we jogged the rest.  I was very proud of us for not giving up and finishing the run!!! 
 We made it - Blacklight Run 2014 complete!!!

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