Road to the Race

Finally, the Big Day

Wow! It has been quite a while since I have been able to write about my 5K training. May brought baseball practice and rain….lots of rain. Still, I was able to run a little each week. June brought an even busier schedule, and I found it extremely difficult balancing work, my kids’ activities, school and training. I was not able to run often and when I did run, it was for short distances. I really started to worry about whether or not I would be able to run the 5k…

The Tuesday before the July 2 race I decided I had to run 3.1 miles to see if I could do it. I plotted out the distance and started to run. It was difficult and I quite foolishly planned a route that included hills, but I was able to finish the run.

Finally race day came, and I was very nervous. My goal has always been to finish the race, but I also wanted to run the whole race without walking. As the race started, I felt really good, like I was going to finish. The second mile was definitely the most difficult, but when I saw that 2-mile marker, I knew I could do it. I ran the entire race! I finished in a little over 45 minutes and I was number 148 out of 250. Accomplishing this goal has been amazing and empowering, I feel like I can do anything I set my mind to! I would like to thank Chris Smith for taking the time to start the training program and the people at Stein who cheered me on through the whole process, Dr. Jim Preston and his wife Kathy, Mary Rose and Molly Kavanaugh. Also, a very special thanks to Julie Yeager for her encouragement and giving me my first medal, and to Anne Fantozz for running the last block with me, it was great to hear her cheers at the end!

Couch to 5K…I did it!!!!!!!

Week Ten

Great week! On Monday I ran 2 ¼ miles, which was quite difficult. On Wednesday, the sun was shining and there was a cool breeze, perfect running weather! I am not sure if it was the weather or my determination, but I managed to run 2 ½ miles. As I get closer to my goal, I find myself feeling better all the time. However, when I run, I do everything I can to take my mind off of it. I always wear my iPod, and turn the music up loud to block out the sound of my breathing.  It’s strange, but if I hear myself breathing, I tend to get more out of breath.  I think of my upcoming vacation, how my son is doing in baseball, anything but running. I have not really lost a lot of weight, which is disappointing for me because I thought I would, but I have noticed my muscle tone has greatly improved. I am feeling stronger in my core and as I increase my runs, I can feel myself getting stronger both physically and mentally.

Week Nine

This week has given me a great sense of satisfaction. I started the program on March 2 with 5-minute runs and the promise we would be building up to 30-minute runs, which I really didn’t think would be possible. This week Coach Chris and I decided to check in on my progress with time instead of distance. I still ran my two miles, but this week he timed me. I ran for 29 continuous minutes! The other members of my group, Dr. Preston, Kathy Preston, and Mary Rose have all been so supportive. I really want to take a minute to tell these wonderful people what an inspiration they are and how much fun it is to be out there training with them. I cannot wait until July 2 when we can all feel that moment of accomplishment as we finish what we started and run the Stein Hospice 5K!

Week Eight

This was the week to increase to 1 ¾ miles. I think my biggest accomplishment to date happened on Friday. My 12-year-old son Noah had to come with me because his baseball practice was cancelled. Noah started to follow me on the track and I ended up losing count of my laps because I was concentrating on him. Eventually, he headed back into the car because he was cold. When I got in the car after my run, Noah turned to me and said, “Hey Mom, you ran an extra lap!” I don’t think my smile could have gotten any bigger; my last lap had seemed more difficult than usual. My moment got even better when Noah looked at me and said, “Mom, I am really proud of you.” I thanked him and let the realization that I had hit the 2-mile mark sink in and thought, “I am really proud of myself!”

Week Seven

It is hard to believe that not quite 2 months ago I could barely run for 5 minutes without stopping and now I am running non-stop for 20 minutes. I’m up to 1 ½ miles and have a great feeling of accomplishment having reached the half-way point of the 5K run. This week I had three different people tell me they can see I have lost weight; I feel so much better and my energy keeps increasing. The race is 10 weeks away and I know I am going to make it to the finish line!

Week Six

Six weeks ago I could barely run for 5 minutes without stopping, and this week I ran a mile and a quarter without stopping once! It feels great to set a goal each week and actually accomplish it!

Weather and injuries have kept many of my “teammates” from practicing, and this week there was just myself and one other person. It is difficult to watch our numbers dwindle because running with a team is so motivating. But I have discovered that having a great coach is a motivator AND I can motivate myself. Next week our Associate Medical Director Dr. Jim Preston and his wife Kathy are scheduled to return to practice. I have missed their fun personalities!

Up next…the half-way point!

Week Five

This was a bit of a strange week for me. My schedule did not allow for me to attend the practices with our group, which meant I had to find the motivation to practice on my own. I was really proud of myself because I did keep up with my running and found there was really no question in my mind that I would.

I did not run on the track this week, but instead ran through a Sandusky neighborhood, which turned out to be much more difficult than I thought. There is a big difference between running on a track and running on a sidewalk with inclines and obstacles. I enjoyed my runs, but I will definitely make sure more of my off-day training occurs off the track so I am better prepared for the race!

Week Four

I ran my first mile since high school! It was a wonderful feeling of accomplishment and I am now convinced I will be able to complete the Stein Hospice Regatta Run on July 2. This is the first time in a very long time that I am excited about an exercise program. It feels like my muscles remember what it was like to run, even if it was many years ago. Now it is just getting them back in shape to do it!

This was kind of a strange week for practice. We had to cancel Wednesday due to rain and tornado warnings, and most people did not show up Friday - I am guessing because of the funeral for Sandusky Police Officer Andrew Dunn. It was a real test to see if I was motivated to run on my own, and I found out I am.

Week Three

We increased our running time to 7 ½ minutes. I was nervous - and I don’t think I was alone. “I am talking to you so you can take your mind off of how much time you have left,” said Coach Chris, who ran with me during the last 4 minutes. It worked. Encouragement = Success!

As difficult as I know it is going to be, I am excited to move up to 10 minutes next week. As we increase our run time, completing the 5K becomes more of a reality. My goal is to run one mile next week, and that will be almost 30% of the race.

And I am happy to say I really look forward to the days we run!

Week Two

Yeah for Daylight Savings! Now I have more light to run in the evenings. My soreness is subsiding and I am trying to change some of my eating habits. I am definitely drinking more water and have added more fresh veggies and healthy snacks like nuts and fruits to my diet. It looks like the mom who hates to cook is going to have to change her mindset and stop eating out!

I got a call from my friend Judi who is doing the program with me. She lost 7 pounds and 3 inches in just the first week! I haven’t weighed or measured myself (and I probably won’t), but I noticed a blouse I was wearing that is normally quite tight is not hugging the way it usually does. Little victories like this are great motivation!

On one of our days to run it was raining, but several of us still ran. The consensus was one excuse not to run leads to many, and none of us wants to quit. I have noticed when I start out each day it seems more difficult to run, but when I find my pace, things get easier. My new goal is to find my pace before I am more than half done with the run.

Week One

When I heard Stein was organizing a Couch to 5K training program I thought, I really want to do this, but can I?

I am a 35-year-old single mother of three very active boys, and as much as I would love to work out, I find it hard to fit exercise into my schedule. But Perkins High School Cross Country Coach Chris Smith (also Stein’s Pharmaceutical Services Director) said that if we followed his “simple” instructions we would be able to complete Stein Hospice’s 5K race on July 2.

I got my friend Judi to sign up too, which would give me another good reason not to back out.

The night before our first practice I searched my house for any sign of tennis shoes. No luck, just an array of cute heels. I realized that not only am I going to have to buy running shoes, but I am going to have to actually run! What had I gotten myself into?

Coach Chris sent us a very inspirational YouTube video of a man who ran 2 marathons and an Ironman Triathlon pushing his disabled son in a wheelchair. The video was inspiring and built my confidence. If he could do it, so could I!

The 10 of us who took on the challenge met behind Perkins High School at the tennis courts, and it was FREEZING! We went inside the school to stretch and find out about the training program. When Coach Chris told us that we were going to run for 5 minutes a roomful of eyes bugged out of their heads. For us newbie’s, running for 5 minutes without stopping is like running for 5 days!

As we headed out to the track in the 30-degree sunshine I thought to myself, there is no way on God’s green Earth that these people are going to see me walk any part of these 5 minutes. After all, I ran a 6-minute mile 16 years ago…it wasn’t that long ago.

So off I went with my co-worker Anne Fantozz, barely looking like she just had a baby 2 ½ months ago. We both did really well for the first 2 minutes, but then my lungs got a wake-up call and objected to working so hard! I kept going, but as my lungs decided to go on strike, my legs were having second thoughts as well. Finally Coach Chris blew the 4-minute whistle and I knew I would reach my goal. Talk about a feeling of accomplishment!

I can’t wait until our next practice… or can I?

Two days later, running was a little tougher and my leg muscles certainly did not want to cooperate, but I stuck with it. Once again, Coach Chris blew a whistle for every minute we ran, and I was very surprised when I lost count. I ran a half mile, or 16% of a 5k. I am on my way!