The 5K!

Saturday was my first 5K! I started the Couch to 5K program on June 13th and surprisingly, was pretty consistent with it. Normally, I’m not one to stick with any exercise or diet program for very long so this is a big deal!

My friend Ashley and I drove to Hot Springs for the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Tower run. We started at the fire station and they drove us UP, UP, UP a mountain until we were at the very top. This was pretty exciting because going down a mountain was much more appealing than running up one. The fire truck blared its sirens and we were off! Things were great for a few minutes and then it happened. A hill. Not just any hill, a hill that seemed to be straight up for about half a mile. I was determined not to stop so I made myself run up the hill the whole time (praying that I’d make it!). I felt like I was running in place because I felt my legs moving but didn’t see much changing as far as scenery goes. Everyone around me was walking and it was sooooo tempting to join them but I knew I'd be so mad at myself if I did.

After that unexpected hill, a good portion of the rest of the run was zigging and zagging down the mountain. Once I reached the bottom it was pretty flat through town and in front of all the bathhouses and motorcycles in town for a rally. The crisp air made my throat a little sore so I grabbed one of the cups of water they were handing out along the way. However, my personality just didn’t allow me to throw the cup on the ground. That’s littering, right?! So I carried it with me until the next water table where I politely handed it to the woman to throw away for me. =)

After it was all over, my unofficial time was 31:08. I couldn’t be happier with that time for my first 5K. I felt great and such a sense of accomplishment to actually RUN an entire 5K instead of just watching from the sidelines. I can’t wait for the next one!

-Geneva