On your mark...get set...

It all started when our friends challenged invited us to do a 5K in August in their hometown about 3 hours away. Challenge Invitation accepted!! I must add that we are NOT runners. Unless it includes a burning building or my life on the line... running & I don't mingle much. And the Hubs? Yea.... he's a 'computer guy', they spend their days behind the screen...in comfy chairs...not moving much more than their heads & hands. But once they confirmed that you can indeed WALK a 5K & that we could push the boys in the stroller, there was nothing stopping us! Maybe we're AWESOME 5Ker's & it's just taken this long for someone to see our potential! Maybe this is our time to shine! Or maybe we'll go up there, walk a 5K while pushing 50+lbs & call it a day. Only one way to find out...

Then next thing you know we start hearing 5K talk all over the place. My niece, who has really started to get in shape after years of medical issues holding her back, mentioned she really wanted to do a 5K. A friend of mine mentioned one in her area & I rallied her to do it. Then my weekend plans got botched so I was able to join, as well as my sister & sister-in-law.

I was really pumped to do my 1st 5K...until I woke up to 90* weather...& then showed up & found out we were running cross-country with no shade...

Have I ever mentioned that I hate the heat?

No?

Well I HATE the heat. So much so that most people leave Michigan when they retire & head to Florida...but I will probably end up in Alaska. 

But we didn't let that stop us. 

Notice in this 'before' pic that my sister & I don't have a running bib on the front? Yea, it was on the back. I think we saw that somewhere & figured we were experts enough (having never been to/participated in a 5K) to do it...or maybe start a new running trend or something! We were promptly told less than 2 mins before the race, while standing at the starting line, that your bib needs to be on the FRONT & visible when you cross the finish for your time to be recorded. Hmm, so it's not for looks? Gotcha. You have never seen 4 girls frantically move/reposition bibs as fast as us, that's for sure!

Then we were a little confused when they said "Go Runners!" or something along those lines & everyone took off. 

But wait? 

We're not 'runners', we're 'walkers'. 

Are they talking to us!? 

Should we? 

Shouldn't we?

GO GO GO!

I'm gonna get real with you here folks, it was hard. 

It was HOT! The air was thick & burned just enough to piss you off. The course was uneven, running up/down hills, on slanted slopes, dried tracks in the mud with tree roots everywhere. I'm shocked no one broke an ankle, it was prime ankle breaking terrain. We walked/jogged/ran all 3.2 miles. We huffed & puffed our way to the finish.

My sister even scooped up our cheerleader (her little girl) to carry across the FINISH LINE. Cause you know, that's what you do...or at least what they do in the movies. 

I am going to state, for the record, that it is not as easy...or flattering, as you might think to take a self-picture while running. The above picture is proof. 

But we did it! I said we could do it in about 45 mins & my official time was 51:28.0. Not bad if you ask me! 

Here we are in all our hot, sweaty, proud glory.

Then we headed to my parents for our weekly sunday dinner & soaked our toes in the kiddie pool while telling tales of our grueling 5K adventure. Ahhh... that hit the spot. Then the exhaustion/fatigue started setting in. I guess that's expected when you are still getting up every 2-3 hours during the night to nurse a 4 month old. So we headed home & I crashed into bed upon our arrival. Not that I slept or anything, I may not have mentioned it before, but my kids get their sleep "issues" from me. 

Then my alarm went off at 4:45am to remind me that I had Bootcamp that I had to get up for. And since I already paid for it I kind of had to get my ass outta bed to do it. Damn. Why did I sign up for that again? Oh yeah... peer pressure..

And lets not forget the sunburn.

Oh yes, the sunburn.

Just on my chest & the tops of my shoulders.

Why couldn't it be on my back or some area that can be covered up easily? 

So I guess I'll have more than just memories of my first 5K, I'll have a wicked tan to remind me too ;)