So on Saturday I ran my first 5k, the Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure, and I had a blast!  There were so many things that I learned and noticed that I really did not expect.  The experience was so new and so different for me, that I almost felt like a kid running around with that child-like wonder. 

Let me start out by saying that there was a ton of people there.  The website states that there were at least 23,700 people registered participants but they don’t have the official numbers yet.  A LOT OF PEOPLE.  Very cool.  So it took me awhile to get up to the starting line because there were so many people packed in waiting for the race to start.  It actually started before I made it up there! 

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One thing that I have learned since I started running, is that it is just as much a mental game as it is a physical one.  When I described in a previous post about those days where I would struggle to complete my workout compared to the days where my workout was a breeze, I didn’t realize what the differences between those days were.  I had thought it had to do with my physical ability and possibly soreness from previous workouts.  My new experiences have shown me something completely different.

I still have the days where I struggle to run.  I now know that the reason why is that I am not mentally in the game.  In order for my runs to be “easy” and “a breeze“, I have to be in the right frame of mind, otherwise my eyes are glued to the timer on the treadmill and I am miserable. 

One post that really helped me come up with some mental strategies for staying in the game, is Thankful for 13.2 Miles of Road, from Workout Mommy.  In it she discusses the importance of staying positive during the run and having a list of things to think about for each mile:

Since running is mostly a mental game, I came up with a list of things I will think about during all of those miles. I figure if I can keep my mind occupied with positive thoughts then I won’t even have time to think anything negative.

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I’m taking the plunge into uncharted territory!  Something I never dreamed of doing in a million years, something so far beyond what I ever imagined for myself, yet something so very representative of my new way of life.  I’m signing up for my first 5k run!  Holy moly!  I know!  (If you are fan of the show Friends, just imagine Monica screaming, I know! and you’ll understand how I’m saying it!) 

So my race (because now that I’m joining, it is, of course, my race) is on July 26th in Asheville, NC at what is known as Bele Chere.  It’s a fun street festival that we’ve been to before, and yet somehow I never knew about the race.  (Too busy stuffing my face with funnel cake?  Perhaps.)  The last time we attended Bele Chere, it was a very hot day.  Luckily the smart people that set these things up have the run scheduled for 8:00 am.  Here is some basic info on the run.

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