SUCCESS!

I wrote in mid-January about wanting to be able to run 5k (3.1 miles) without stopping. (I didn't mention this then, but I was also concerned about being able to do it without dying.) I didn't work myself up to signing up for an official 5k race until the end of January when I talked to my sister and some friends that were also looking for something like this to work towards. Pretty soon after I registered, I started having some knee pain (that incidentally made me feel a good 20 years older than I am), and I wasn't sure if I'd actually be able to participate. Some rest, lots of prayer, and consistent strengthening exercises, however, all worked together to make me feel like this was something that I could actually accomplish. 

And guess what?? I did! 

I know it may not seem like a big deal to any of you seasoned runners out there, but I have to say that this was SUCH a big deal for me. I started running in early December and worked my way up to 3.1 miles in a little over three months. Not too bad for a girl who is a professed hater of running who hadn't actually run since Sophomore year in high school. (And let me tell you folks, that was a looong time ago.) My official time was 37:15, which works out to be about 12 minutes a mile. (I seriously don't know how those marathon folks can do it in almost half that time!) I would have liked to have gone a little faster, but hey, I didn't die, and that is absolutely something worth celebrating.

my sister Laura and I kept each other company even though the rest of our group got separated

 She's alive!

And check out this cool medal I got. Now I see why people are serial 5k runners

I was SO glad that Craig brought the kids and they all met me at the finish line.

They cheered their little hearts out and it was so awesome to see them so excited about 

something that I was doing that didn't involve making dessert or letting them watch tv.

Laura, me, Wendy

me, Karen, Wendy, Joni, and little cheerleader Daniela

It was such a good experience to do something like this with the support of some awesome friends whose confidence in me often exceeded my own. 

My plan is to continue running and to work my way up to a 10k if I can. All that's left now is to figure out how on earth people run in the summer here.