I don't even know where to start. You'd think it's not that big of a deal, but it so is. Today was my first 5k and I won. I didn't come in first. I didn't even place. The point is I finished. Not only did I finish, but I beat my own pie in the sky greatest expectations!

Even if I hadn't created a new personal record (36:31 thank you very much!!), it would have been a win. I SOOO wanted to quit half way through. Then I wanted to quit 3/4 of the way. I didn't. I just kept putting one foot in front of the other. I finished! I beat my best training time by more than 5 minutes. In my wildest dreams, I just wanted to get under 40 minutes. I blew that goal out of the water! I did it!

It was SOOOO intimidating. There were all these experienced runners there that were talking to each other about the race last weekend, and the race next weekend (they're crazy because it was FREEZING last weekend, wet and rainy, and HELLO? It's November in Ohio, quite literally freezing weather now at 30-some degrees in the early morning). So I was feeling VERY much out of my league. But I kept hearing all my pirates telling me to run "my" race, that it didn't matter how I did, I won just for showing up. And I finally started to believe it!

I learned a LOT today!

1. What I was doing on my treadmill is jogging. What I did today was running. LOL!

2. You don't have to show up at the START of registration, no matter how eager you are, the race won't start until it starts!

3. The excitement when they say "GO!" can too easily go to your head. Everyone started out WAY fast, and I started out way too fast too, which means I struggled to control my breathing after the first 1/2 mile.

4. If I want to race outdoors, I have to train outdoors. I have been relying mostly on my treadmill and I didn't take into account the temperature. Oh, I was dressed fine, but huffing and puffing that cold air for so long left me feeling all day like I've got instantaneous bronchitis. (I sound a little like a seal as this racking deep cough has taken over all day since I finished the race).

5. It isn't worth it to push past comfort. Towards the end, I really pushed and ended up literally wheezing and having a hard time catching my breath when I finally started to cool down. I would have been better off taking the extra minute on my time to not induce that quasi-exercise induced asthma attack. (at least that's what I'm guessing it was as I never felt that panicked about shortness of breath and hope NEVER to experience it again).

6. In the long run (pun intended), it was so worth doing! Knowing that I stuck it out, that I finished was actually quite emotional when I finally did cross the finish line (which made it even harder to catch my breath). I didn't realize how much I had invested in this race, but I feel like there's more that I have to learn from it with a little distance from this chest pain.

Finally, saving the best for last, my darling husband of almost 15 years got up with me at 6:30 this morning, and as a surprise, he came with me. He registered for the race at the door, and stayed with me the whole time. There were several moments where I though I couldn't do it for another minute and I would reach out and just grab his elbow (I couldn't even talk for the huffing and puffing) and he would give me words of encouragement that had me going just a few more minutes and then just a few more. I am in love all over again!

I don't know that it's glamorous, but that's my first 5k. I'm sure there are more lessons to come, but I sure am grateful for the ones that I walked away with today! It's too soon to say if I liked it or not, or if I would do it again, but I'm glad I did it today. And that's enough.

Before I wrap this up, I have to thank EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU that were thinking of me today. When I needed it, don't think for a moment I didn't feel all your positive thoughts helping push me just a little further. I don't know that I would have sailed through this race quite so steadily without my pirates and especially a great big hug and thank you to my own inspiration: Thanks Jackie! (MISSJCISRUNNING, go ahead check out her page, she'll inspire you too!)