The Incredible Shrinking Krista

Friday, May 31, 2013

Quay 5k

Tomorrow morning, I will be heading out for the 5K in my town.  I have run this race before, and it is a bit hilly, but also a really neat race.  It is very well staffed, lots of volunteers, no question on when/where to turn, well marked course, and awesome spectators.  I do believe it is patently unfair for the spectators to sit on their front porches eating pancakes and bacon at about the 2.5 mile mark (I swear that is exactly what happened 2 years ago), I'll enjoy it.

I have run 2 5ks in the past, my first was in 50:49, the second took 52:15.  I haven't really gotten to train like I should have, and while the reasons are valid, I won't use them as excuses.  I have the simple goal of going out and enjoying the run/walk.  The last two years since I ran my first 5k I've allowed the desire of being a "Good enough" runner to make me hyper focus on all kinds of things like pace, training plans, bucket list races, gps watches, nutrition....you name it.  While all of these have a place and a time that the discussion of them is necessary, now is neither.  The reality is, when I finished my first 5k, I was so proud I cried, since then, I've been striving for a goal which is neither necessary nor valid.  What does it matter if I can run a 5k in 30 minutes?  While I would love to, would it make me a better person?  Nope, sure wouldn't, it'd just make me a faster runner.

I came to the realization tonight while talking to my son who is also running the race and telling him to run his best race and enjoy it, I should be aiming for the same things.  Why am I worried about pace or timing?  Why not just go out, run the best race I can run tomorrow morning and go from there.

In light of that, and thanks in part to the awesome support of the Running Moms Mafia I am proud to be a member of, I'm going to go run/walk/crawl my race.  I'm going to try to have fun.  I'm going to put on my iPod, my headphones, and just GO!  None of this other crap matters, because truth is, I'm still lapping everyone on the couch.  I'm lapping every other girl my size who wants to try, but talks herself out of it due to fear.  I'm going to go have a good time, in my little town, with 500+ other runners.  I have but 2 goals:
1--No blue light escort to the finish line
2--Have a good time
The rest will take care of itself.

Krista

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