This weekend we accomplished goal #1 of three goals we set for ourselves on July 4 of this year. We ran our first 5k.

Our goal wasn’t to win, just be able to run it. When we made the goal on July 4 we were absolutely sedentary.

We picked up our packets the afternoon before the race.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit nervous. We’d done a practice run that morning and finished in 42 minutes, including a one minute wait for a traffic light. Keep in mind, I’m five feet tall and Toby is 6′ 2″ so when I say “we ran” I mean that I ran and he sort of shuffled along beside me. The point was to do it together so I was hoping that “we” could run the real race in at least 41 minutes.

The night before the race we had dinner at Brick Oven Pizza. The guys behind the pasta counter actually started arguing with me (good naturedly) that I needed to eat tons and tons of pasta before the race. I tried explaining it wasn’t a marathon but they were both runners and assured me I needed LOTS of pasta. I declined – and thank goodness for that.

See that boy and his mom at the front of the pack? I told Toby “I am going to get beaten by a kid, aren’t I?” Toby said “Yes, but skiing has long since prepared me for that. Kids go whizzing by doing headbangers all the time.”

Toby wears a Nike+ so he knew how we were doing with pace. I had no idea but I felt like I was doing awful. He kept pushing me and coaching me. Sometimes I rolled my eyes but mostly I minded my manners. The practice run, while a good workout, had made my muscles tired and I kept having to change pace (walk)  to give myself a break.

Finally, we neared the finish line and I could see the big clock but not all of it. The first number was obscured by runners so I didn’t know if I was doing well (a “3”) or terrible (a “4”). Then someone moved and I saw it was a “3”. I could do it in under forty if I just picked up the pace!

Toby was pretty surprised when I started sprinting. It’s probably not good running etiquette to shoot out like that, but I desperately wanted to make it under the forty minute mark!

And if you’ll be so kind as to notice…I beat that kid.

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