Brownies and Zucchini

So, it turns out I will be running my first ever race a lot sooner than I anticipated.  Remember when I announced that I would be running The Color Run 5K in Chicago on June 2? Well, it turns out that will actually be my SECOND race.

Yesterday, Sarah tweeted about running Crazylegs this weekend and was wondering if anyone else she knew was running the race.  It didn’t look like she was having any luck, so I responded saying that I wish I would have been training for it so I could run it with her. Then Sarah tweeted back suggesting that since I’ve been running pretty regularly maybe I could still do and and just not run it all.  Hmmm…..tempting.  I really hesitated because I didn’t want to bring Sarah down.  I knew that she was planning on running this race since it is on her 101 in 1001 list, and I didn’t want to hinder her in completing this goal since I hadn’t really been training for it.   So I chatted with her some more to make sure that she was really ok with walk/running it, and she was.  So I made the decision to sign up for the race and run with her. What a great example of someone being FitFluential – clearly Sarah is part of the club.  Not only did she encourage me to race, but she offered to stay together the whole time since we know it will be a challenge for both of us.

Yes, you read that correctly, I – the girl who isn’t even sure she likes running all that much –  just signed up for an 8K race this weekend. In 4 days. My first race ever.  I feel like I channeled Healthy Ashley on this one since I haven’t been training for it, and it is such short notice. Seems like something she would do. But one thing that Ashley does that I admire so much is she sets her goals high.  She had a major accident last fall, screws in her hip, and then a few months later ran a marathon.  Crazy amounts of inspiration right there.  I will most definitely be channeling my inner Healthy Ashley during this race.

Why this race? Why not just wait until June? Well, the answer to that is a combination of a few factors.

1. It is Crazylegs! Crazylegs has always been something that has been such an event for the city. Since I’ve lived in Madison my whole life, I am familiar with the race that floods people into Downtown Madison and ends at the 50 yard line of Camp Randall Stadium.  It ends IN THE STADIUM!  How epic is that? I know at least someone will agree with me on that one.
2. I feel like June is a long ways away.  (But really it is only a little over a month!)  Although I am still very excited for that race, I feel like I’m ready for it. This means that I also feel like I can slack off on my running and just  run here and there – which obviously isn’t really ideal training for someone who just started running about a year ago.   Ideally I would like to have done a 5K and 8K in the opposite order, but I needed something to keep me motivated and challenge me and I think this will definitely do that.
3. Although Chicago isn’t all that far away, I know I will be more comfortable and less stressed out running my first race in the city that I live in.  The first time doing anything is always the most stressful, especially when it is something new, so why not make it a little easier on myself to start with.
4. Its always more fun to run with friends, right?  I know that Sarah and I will help keep each other motivated and it will make the race a whole lot more fun.

So, there you have it.  I’m running my very first race this weekend.  It is an 8K that ends inside Camp Randall Stadium.  It is a good thing I didn’t look at the actual race map or the weather before comitting to this because I’m not sure that I would have done it.  But now I’m committed, and excited for Saturday.  Well, mostly excited at least.  Still a little concerned about my lack of preparation.  My one and only goal is to finish the race, and I’m confident that I can get that done…even if it is uphill, 43 degrees and raining.

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Filed under: Words Tagged: | Crazylegs, Fitfluential, madison, My First Race, Race, running