My First 10K {that i'm counting}

4 years ago this very month, I ran my first 10K. But I'm not really counting it as my first. It was the most awful experience I've ever had, which was mostly my own fault. I didn't prepare. Like... at all.

YOU CAN READ ABOUT IT HERE.

I had been religiously taking CrossFit classes at the time, had lost a lot of weight and was strong. A trainer there {who is no longer there} had me convinced that I would be just fine running a 10K without doing any running. Just keep coming to CrossFit, she told me and "you'll be just fine."

What a crock of crap that was, and looking back, I can't believe I actually believed her. And can't believe I actually finished the race.

Several months ago, I hit a plateau with my weight loss. I was stuck. No matter how many CrossFit classes I took, I couldn't seem to shed more pounds. This was a problem since I still have a ways to go. I was reading the blog of a women who recently lost 100 pounds and it turns out that she hit a plateau as well. However, opposite of me, her primary exercise was and had always been running. During her plateau, she turned to weights. Adding the weights got her through and she continued to lose weight again.

The answer was clear... I needed to add cardio and cut back on the CrossFit a bit. But I hadn't done any running in since that race 4 years ago and with that bad experience looming in my memories, I didn't know if I had it in me to try again. Time to get over it, right?

I signed up for the very same race again, but this time, I had a training schedule planned and mapped out. Why the same race? How better to track my progress? I cut my CrossFit classes down to 2 per week and added in 3-4 running days per week. It was hard. I felt pain in my legs and lungs that I'd never felt before. I wasn't getting any easier to run, which at times, became hugely discouraging. I honestly didn't know if when it came time for the race, that I'd do any better than I did 4 years back.

{RACE DAY}

March 7, 2015. I didn't sleep at all the night before. I was ridiculously nervous. And shaking. I was worried that I would disappoint myself.

I enlisted the help of my sister-in-law Brandee. She agreed to pace me through the race. Her husband decided to run with us too, though being much taller and much faster, we didn't see at all during the race.

I finished and had several accomplishments along the way:

1. I beat my first time by 10 minutes
2. I ran more than I walked, which was a challenge for me even during my training.
3. I ran my first consecutive mile without walking {never have I done this before}.
4. My best mile was 9:27 {also never have I done before}.
5. Because of my preparation, I didn't feel the same soreness or pain as the first time.

All in all, I was happy with the outcome of this race. I know I have a lot more work to do, but if it means anything, I'm already signed up for another race. Last time, I swore of running all together so I believe this is a step in the right direction! My goal? To learn to like running enough that I actually get good at it!