5K Do-Over: One Year Anniversary

By: Shana Adams (@bbgtonline) I never thought I would run a 5K at the beginning of my weight loss/fitness journey. I was just concerned with the number on the scale and losing XX amount of weight in XX amount of days. It never occurred to me that I could use running as a measure of progress.

I ran my first 5K on Saturday April 13, 2013. I remember how chilly it was that morning and that I couldn’t believe I was about to do something so cray cray. Here I was in a sea of actual runners. Legit runners. People warming up around me with sprints, jumping up and down, stretching, the whole nine. An older man with a bald head, complimented with a salt and pepper goatee stood to my right with his 1970s basketball short shorts on, jogging in place. A whole family of runners stood a few feet in front. Daddy was giving his youngins a pep talk; mama had the baby bundled up in that stroller with the bike tires on it. It was about to go down. I remember thinking, I can’t let a lady with a baby to push beat me. I can’t let so and so pass me. Looking back, I realize I had the wrong mindset. This was serious business and though I had prepped a little bit with the Couch to 5K app, I wasn’t mentally strong.

At 8:00 am, the horn sounded and we were off to the races. I started off too strong, pumping my arms Tom Cruise Mission Impossible style. I got winded early and after about a quarter mile, I was feeling defeated. My boyfriend was running with me and I remember whining to him that everybody was passing me. He told me to chill out and reminded me that though it was a race, I have to treat it as a race against myself right now because I’m not where those other runners are in terms of my physical fitness. I whined and moaned sporadically throughout the race, but I finished with a time of 47:12. I wasn’t happy with my time because I felt that I could do better, but I was proud that I was able to complete my first 5K. On Saturday April 5, 2014, I ran the same 5K and finished with a time of 46:45. I was a little bummed out that my time wasn’t between 35 and 40 minutes but I have to admit the following:

1. I didn’t train for this race at all. I got to the gym three to four times a week but I don’t run very often. I don’t have a passion for running, but I do like it. Long story short, I think I’ll train a bit before I do my next 5K.
2. The course was different. Last year, the course that we ran was a lot flatter. This year, the course was full of hills and I think that may have affected my time.
3. I didn’t warm up before the race. I had the C25K app going during my run and I did the five minute walk to begin it. I should have run from the jump.

Overall, I’m happy with where I am with my fitness. The biggest difference in both 5K’s is that the time does not indicate where my cardio endurance is now. In my first one, my lungs gave out first, then my legs. In this race, my quads gave out first and I see that as a positive. To me, this means that my cardio has improved but I need to do better with leg conditioning. I’m looking forward to my next race and I know I will do better with my time because I will be prepared.

Also in Black Girls RUN!