Zoo Run Run

I could suffice to say after doing the hog jog I thought to myself I could really get into this running thing. I searched around my local area for more races and found a 5k for the little zoo at our local park. I had heard about the Zoo Run Run before and decided it would be a fun thing to do and I really had no excuse not to do it since it was a local race.

To get into training for the 5K I had heard so much about the couch to 5K program I decided to give it a whirl. It started out with a 60 second run 90 second recovery time with 8 sets. Gradually the running time increases and the recovery time decreases until week 9 when you are suppose to be able to run for 30 minutes strait. Obviously with the next race in a month I didn't have time to get through 9 weeks of training so I just kept going with the plan and do the race as well as I could.

Race day came, a warm July Indiana morning. Thankfully the humidity wasn't too bad. This only being my second race I still wasn't sure what to expect. I had picked up my race packet and number the day before so just showed up with my number and timing chip securely tied to my shoe. :) There was the people running around the park warming up, to which I still thought were crazy for running before the race even started! There were a lot more people at this race. I noticed this dad with his 2 kids and he was showing them how to stretch and giving them advice about the race. I was still surprised about the variety of people there. It wasn't all the stereotypical runners. There were kids, teenagers, senior citizens, moms and dad, there was no bias toward one people, were were all there for a common goal, run a race and have fun.

I was doing this race by myself and doing it for the first time didn't help my pre-race jitters. Those feelings were soon behind me as the starting gun went off and the mass of people in front of me started running forward. As we headed through the park I felt like everyone in the race was passing me. It can feel kind of discouraging when you are doing this race and are still being passed by people. But after a quick glance back it was a comfort to me to see quite a few people still behind me.

I had mapped out 3.1 miles before on map my run and had done it before around my apartment so I though I was good to go. This race though started in the park, through the surrounding neighborhood, around the outside of the park and ended back inside the park at the zoo. There were a few times when the race intersected itself so it was weird to cross paths, literally, with the leaders of the race.

I had pushed myself really hard at the beginning of the race to try and keep up with the runners instead of keeping with my own, run/walk pace. Toward the end of the race I was pretty spent and was walking more than running. There was a lady and I who kept playing cat and mouse the whole race. I would get ahead of her then she would pass me, then I would pass her and so on. So when the course started us back into the park I knew it was the last leg and I wanted to finish before this lady.

When I saw the finish line ahead of me I began to run. My legs did not want to move but I was bound and determined to finish the race running! As I approached the finish there were people lined on either side of the finish cheering and the big "FINISH" banner with the time clock right next to it. I pushed what seemed to be my last ounce of will power and ran under the finish banner. Once I finished though I forgot about how hard the race was, it is like the finish line is the reward and the pain up to that point was worth it because no matter if your first or last, you are always a winner, because you finished!!

Oh and I did beat the lady! :)