Caught It!

So if you know me, you know that I HATE running. Yes, I hate it. Well, that was before Emily prescribed some new asthma medication for me. Since I finally worked out the pre-authorization with the insurance, I got my month's supply and began taking it right away. I signed up for the Salt Lake 5K and was able to get the singulair before then. I was doing really well at the gym pushing myself to up my endurance, and things were going well. Then I hit a reading high, and decided I would do the stationary bike for a little while, so I could read. Then I got really interested in the stairmaster, so for the two weeks leading up to the 5K, I didn't run AT ALL. The Friday night before, I decided I probably needed to run a little before. I ran for about 11 minutes, and then the gym closed and they kicked me out. :(  Saturday morning came, and I was up early. Bummer! I like to sleep in at least a little on Saturdays.  As I donned my "free" t-shirt and hat, I wondered if I was really awake, and what on earth I was possibly thinking when I signed up. But, I somehow made it there. A couple puffs of my rescue inhaler, a few gulps of water, and I was off. I wandered around Liberty Park for a few minutes, hoping to find someone I knew, and then I saw the group from my ward who were walking/running the 5K in remembrance of Bryce Brown. I started to get really excited about it. Finally, we all started. I did really really well at first. I ran almost the whole first mile, and was doing well. I hit the gatorade stand, and thought I was getting water, but ended up with gatorade, and was sorta bummed about that. My goal was to finish in 45 minutes (or less, obviously), and to run for at least 15 minutes. I finished in 39:29, but only ran 13 minutes of the race. I wasn't in it to win, but I definitely caught the running bug. I have decided that I will do my best to train to run the half-marathon next year. I have already tried to push my endurance at the gym. Just this week, I was running at the gym, and made it 0.25 miles, and decided i could make it to 0.5 miles, after making it that far, and still doing well, I decided I could do 0.75 miles. Well, I did it. I pushed through some definite pounding in my chest (left side, then the right), but I made it. So I walked another 0.30 miles, and finished running the mile I started. I was so pumped. I have been really excited about it. I'm not great at running, I have horrible endurance. I attribute all my exercise success to Emily (my sister-in-law). When we were there for Christmas, she told me "you have to start somewhere". So after making a goal of attending the gym 5 days a week--every week, I have tried (and so far successfully) to keep it up (i just finished 13 weeks). Going that often has allowed me to be able to set other goals and achieve them, but it has given me the confidence and ability to keep going. Sometimes, it's really frustrating because i can't see any evidence of it having any affect on my weight, or physical appearance. The other day, I did drop 2 pounds overnight, and was only back up less than an entire pound the next day. That was encouraging. I usually fluctuate a little, but so far, it hasn't come back --KNOCK ON WOOD. So back, to the 5K. Afterward, we stopped at Redbox and rented Juno (not that great) and got some Jamba Juice drinks, and came home to enjoy a movie and some treats. So there you have it, I have caught the running bug, and plan to keep this up for awhile. 

I got the free hat from work (and a shirt, water bottle, and healthy snacks), and the short sleeve shirt just for signing up. I bought the long-sleeve shirt myself.  Next year my shirt will say "Salt Lake Half-Marathon" instead of "5K".