I did it, but I don't think I'll do it again!

I've had people tell me that once they've run a 5K it's addictive.  After the 5K, they train for a 10K, then a half marathon.  They run every event they can get to.

Well, I did it last weekend.  I ran with my sister and niece in the ZipperQ 5K.  It's a great charity to donate to.  A little boy in my town has FOP Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva.  One of the rarest, most disabling genetic conditions known to medicine, it causes bone to form in muscles, tendons, ligaments and other connective tissues.  ZipperQ raises money for research for this horrible disease.  So for that reason alone, I'm glad that I participated.

I've been jogging since May and for the last month I've been jogging 3.1 + miles 3 to 5 times a week.  I felt confident and in pretty good shape.  When I jog in my neighborhood, I don't have to stop and walk or rest, I can jog the entire time and it usually takes me somewhere between 43 and 46 minutes to complete (I never said I was fast).  My problem was the anxiety of running with people.  I had all these thoughts going through my mind like.  "I'm the only one here who has never done this?"  "Am I wearing the right clothes?"  "There going to laugh at you!"  Wait, that one may have been from the Carrie movie, but you get what I'm talking about.   Basically, I was a nervous wreck.  I sat in my car in the parking lot waiting for my sister show up because I was too nervous to get out and walk around with all the other "runners"...

The announcer says "5 more minutes!"  Everyone starts getting in line.  We stayed towards the back, we thought we were just in front of the walkers.  The gun goes off and everyone takes off running.  It felt like I was in a stampede...everyone behind us was running.  I'm not talking a slow jog, it was an all out RUN.  We finally got out of the crowd at about the 1/2 mile mark and I couldn't breathe.  I literally had to stop and catch my breath.   By the time we'd gone 1 mile, there was already a 16 year old boy coming back.  He ran the 5K in 16 minutes.  My niece was long gone, so it was just my sis and and I and about a dozen or so walkers behind us.  It was so hot, the sun was boiling my brain.  I should have worn sunglasses but since I'm used to doing my jogging first thing in the morning before the sun is barely up I didn't think about sunglasses.  My mouth felt like I'd taken about 3 or 4 big Tbsps of coconut oil mixed with Elmer's Glue.   We jogged and walked.  I think we probably walked the last mile and then once we were at the home stretch and the finish line was in sight we started running.  My time was 52.34 seconds.  I wasn't last, but almost.  I think there were 2 people behind me.  It didn't feel like 3.1 miles.  It felt like it was never going to end.  

I was so glad when it was over.  I stumbled my way back to the car and drove home to strip out of my sweaty clothes and hit the shower.

Yes, I'm glad I did it.  No, I'll never do it again.  I prefer jogging in my neighborhood, round and round.  It wasn't addictive, I'm not Jonesing to do another one.  Next year, I'll probably sign up for the ZipperQ, pay my registration fee, get the T-shirt and stay home!

Are you there yet?

This is funny, well it made me laugh and then giggle to myself several times.  If you could see me right now I'm still giggling.

I had a friend send a text message to me last night.  She wanted to know if I enjoy exercise now.  She said, "you know how people say that they really enjoy exercise after they've done it for awhile. I was just wondering if you are there yet?"  HAHAHAHAHA, this is where the laughter began.  And this was my response.  "LOL, no not really, I only enjoy it when it's over."

I've been exercising, well jogging since the end of May.  That's a good solid 4 months.  They (not really sure who "they" are) but "they" say that it takes about 3 weeks to break a habit or 3 weeks to start new habits.  Has jogging become a habit?  I don't think so.  Do I jog because I like it?  NO, I do it because I want to get healthy.

I guess you could say that jogging and I have a love/hate relationship.  I love the idea of being an athlete, jogging out on the open road with the wind in my hair and a smile on my face, having this time to shed the stress from my body and just go with the flow and run all the worries away.  This is what I picture at night before I go to bed.  This is how I want to feel when I wake up in the morning.  Excited to exercise!   But that ain't the way it goes sister!  There's no wind, I wish there were, then maybe my hair wouldn't be matted to my face and scalp.  There's no smile, it's all I can do to breathe without hyperventilating.  The only stress is the 5K that's coming up this weekend.  Now with that being said.  I don't hate  jogging.  Once I get the first mile in, it's really pretty easy.  My head and I have to have several discussions about quitting and continuing until I hear the cue that I've gone 1 mile.  Then the head decides it's a losing battle and shuts up.

The thing that I love about jogging is when it's over!  hahaha, that's not exactly what I mean.  It's a feeling like I've never had before.  I've done something that not too many fat girls do.  I feel proud of myself and I like myself for jogging.  So, Am I there yet?  I don't know!

But I think when people say they love exercise, I don't think it's the physical act that they LOVE!  I truly believe it's the feeling they have about themselves after the exercising is over.

Last week I posted a video on facebook.  I usually talk about my jogs in my facebook support group Healthy Choices & More!!  But instead of typing, I decided to talk.  This was taken just minutes after jogging. 

I hope you enjoy the video.