I did it!

I set of from home at 6.15 to go to my first ever Fun Run.  Well I had done the walking part of a Fun Run/Walk before, but I had never actually RUN in a Fun Run. Todays event was a 5km race for me.  The Runaway Bay Super Sports centre and a company called Corporate Challange put on this series of races as a build up to the Gold Coast Marathon 30June-1July.

Cass is doing the progressive series, meaning each race the distance is increasing, so she can build up to her Half Marathon.  Each progressive race is accompanied by a 5km race.  So today I entered the 5km, and Cass was in the 8km.

Taking a self portrait with the Start Line in the background.

So at 7am I started running, and I didn't stop until 38mins and 18 seconds later, when I crossed the finish line (official time yet to be released, but I will update when it is).  'Unhealthy Me' didn't even bother arguing with me this time. She knew I was serious, she knew I had run 4km before and really I felt ok until that last km, and by that time I knew the finish line was in sight and I just had to keep going.  My goal was to run it without stopping, without walking, and I did it. 

I was surrounded by ladies who were walking, then running, then walking, then running, and we were constantly overtaking each other.  I kept telling myself that it didn't matter what they were doing , that I was running my own race, keeping my nice constant pace.  By the 4km mark I realised I had left those ladies behind me.  I had one lady who was about 20 metres in front of me the whole way who was walking occasionally, and I would nearly catch her, and then she would run again and get away from me... she was my inspiration. I just wanted to catch her. 

When I got to the entrance of the track , with 400m to run, she stopped to walk, and by the 200m mark I had caught her!  

"C'mon", I said, "Lets finish this"... and we sprinted the last 150m... I gave it everything, getting my heart rate up to 200!  But she finished ahead of me by 2 seconds. 

Crossing that finish line was cool, they called out your name and time over the microphone... next time I will be taking a cheer squad to share it with.  This time it was me, doing it for me. 

So after an electrolyte drink, and a sit down to stop the legs from Shaking, I found a nice spot to wait for Cass to come in from her 8km run.  I really have her to thank for me achieving this today, she believed I could do this well before I even thought it might be possible.  I have been following her lead by doing the 12WBT, and now fun runs, so I absolutely had to get the 'after' photo with her.

Cass and I after our Races.

So what's next? 

29th April... either the Runaway Bay 5km fun run again (Cass will be doing the 10km), or the Gold Coast Bulletin Fun Run in Robina.  Haven't registered yet, just waiting to see if any of the family wants to join me.. if we join up at the family price, the kids are basically free.  Any one else want to join me?