This was a great week. I’m feeling stronger with my swimming, more comfortable on my bike (thanks to my new bike seat!), and today I ran my fastest 5K in an actual race. This race is significant to me for two major reasons:
- It is my school’s event and I sure know lots of the participants. I also help with the organization each year,
2. I ran this event about 5 years ago before I started my nutrition plan and got healthy. It was probably the most embarrassing moment of my life. I will never forget the humiliation I felt as I was lumbering to the finish line. I knew everyone there who was cheering me on, but I wasn’t feeling cheery. It was about 45 minutes after the starting gun went off, and I was hot, red, sweaty and SO uncomfortable with all of those parent and student eyes on me. I was close to last and had been passed on the run by young students, and fellow teachers who were significantly older than I. I didn’t run this 5K again for several years (until last year!). At that time, as a non-runner, and a non-athlete, I didn’t think about the fact that I had gotten on my sneakers and gotten out there. I should have been proud that I’d gotten off the couch, but I was shy and worried about what other people were thinking of me. Even though they were cheering me on, I couldn’t help but feel inadequate because of how slowly I ran.
Now I know better! It’s not how fast or far you go, it’s the fact that you’re challenging yourself to get better. I’m glad I lived through those beginning days so I was able to reflect and grow. Now that I’ve become athletic, I’ve learned to compare my performance to my own goals. I no longer race other people, it’s much more fun to race with myself (but do it with other people).
Run forward, and challenge yourself!