What I Learned While Running a 5K by Jenn McKinlay

 

JENN McKINLAY: Hooligan 2 and I have been talking about running a 5K for over a year. Why so long? Well, that's because I hate running with the heat of a thousand suns. 

This is not an exaggeration. When I played basketball in high school and the coach made us run wind sprints, I was certain I would DIE (it was my dramatic years). Same with college rugby - the running absolutely did me in. I lasted one season. Volleyball has always been my sport because the running is limited to very short sprints and I have a solid serve. 

Thus, the contemplating of the 5K for 365+ days. Then in August, H2 and I read that the AZ Diamondbacks were having a 5K race against cancer. We decided it was a worthy cause and, surely, by the end of September the weather would be cooler. 

That was lesson one. The weather does not care about you or your pesky ambitions. It was 89 degrees when we started the race and 93 when we finished (see sweat soaked photo above). Ugh!

As the racers assembled outside the ballpark in downtown Phoenix, I found myself getting nervous. Why? I wasn't competing with anyone but myself. When I confessed to H2 how I was feeling, he said, "Me, too. I expect it's because we've never done this before." That seemed reasonable. I'm at an age where I've had a wide variety of experiences and things that are out of my comfort zone don't come along all that often. It was another lesson - a reminder to challenge myself every now and then, be nervous, do it anyway.

Thankfully, there were plenty of shenanigans with the Diamondback mascot Baxter and the enormous costumed players to distract us from our pre-race anxiety. 

Jenn and "Randy Johnson"

Finally, the starting ceremony commenced and H2 and I took our places with our two-thousand fellow participants. In short order, the horn sounded and we were off. H2 and I had previously agreed that we needed to run our own races and would meet up at the finish line at the end. With my blessing, he left me in the dust. 

The first mile wasn't bad. I'd been running every day for the past month, so my legs burned, my heartbeat got faster, and my lungs started huffing as my body adjusted to the demands I was putting on it. And then, I felt it. That twinge in my right butt cheek that signaled my sciatica had come along for the race. Yep, another lesson! Some things you can't run away from - lol - so you'd better manage it. 

I downshifted into speed walking. The pack thinned and I found my people. As a group, we did a combo of speed walk-jog-speed walk. We hit the halfway point and the leaders of the race passed us on their way back. The woman beside me called them out. "First man!" A few seconds later "First woman!" And then "First Banana!" Yes, the dude in the banana costume was in the top ten...so he was a top banana! LOL!

I checked my time. I was on target. My goal was to finish in less than forty-five minutes. Ideally, I wanted to hit thirty-five, but I'd be happy with forty. Then the sun started creeping up higher in the sky, the breeze died, and it was HOT.

As mile marker two came into sight, the guy behind me said, "Only mile two? Son of a biscuit!" Except he didn't say biscuit. A laugh burst out of me because I was feeling the exact same way. I grabbed water from the wonderful volunteer who said, "Thank you guys for coming out and supporting the cause." Not gonna lie, I needed that reminder that this wasn't about me and my goals but rather about the people not able to just decide to run a 5K because they're busy battling for their lives against cancer. 

The final mile was a beast. I started to doubt everything about being 57 and running my first race. What had I been thinking? I was too old for this nonsense. Never mind that I had been smoked by at least three women in their seventies in the first mile. I continued on (it's not like you really have a choice at this point) but my sciatica was twinging hard. It wasn't pretty. 

When I could see the stadium, I perked up in a the end is nigh feeling (but in a good way) and made sure I had just enough gas in the tank to run over the finish line. I got a high five from Baxter, the MC called out my name, and a cheering dude handed me a medal. 

IT WAS GLORIOUS!!! 

H2 was waiting for me with a Gatorade and we grinned at each other like complete idiots as the endorphins (aka the feeling of joy that hell is over and we survived) flooded our systems. Seriously, you'd think we'd scaled Mt. Everest. We put on our medals and took goofy photos and chatted with our fellow racers. Everyone was buzzing from finishing the run.

It was in that moment that I got it. The whole running thing that had eluded me for years. It's the setting of a goal, the training to achieve the goal, and then accomplishing the goal. And if you can do some good for someone else all the better!

According to my timer, I came in at 40 min and 30 sec (YAY!) but I'm still awaiting the official results. Later, as H2 and I stuffed our faces at iHop with eggs, bacon, hash browns, and pancakes, we excitedly decided that we're signing up for the Rock n Roll Arizona 5K in January. With any luck, it won't be 89 degrees and my sciatica will stay home. LOL.

So, Reds and Readers, what goals have you set for yourselves that you achieved? If you're a runner, what words of wisdom can you share for my future endeavors?