Racing Anniversary- 3 years!

I am coming up on the anniversary of my racing- 3 years ago I signed up for my first 5k- Jay Lyons 5k. It ended up being an INSANELY hot day. Since the race is in April in Mass they start late in hopes that it will be warm. My goal for the 5k was just to finish and NOT walk! My parents and D ran the race too. This is my mom and I near the finish. I survived 32:28 was my finish time and I have not come to learn that is one of the hilliest 5ks I know about. (wow who is that girl in that photo?)


Coming up on 3 years of racing has me thinking. I have come a long way from just hoping to survive a 5k to I can just go out and do one kinda whenever I feel like it. My time for a 5k has changed a lot- current PR is a low 27. And the other thing is I have raced a LOT of races since then. This 5k was the start of me running and by the end of the season in 2009 I was racing in my first sprint tri- Hale Off Road Tri . And now I have even finished a 70.3!

I have a hard time thinking of myself as an athlete. I STILL see myself as a slow, fat runner and triathlete. I have a very hard time seeing all the things I have accomplished. I really need to realize what I have done and what I can do is way more than that girl 3 years ago running that 5k would have ever thought was possible.

The other thing that has happen a lot lately is having friends either thank me for being an inspiration, asking me for pointers for training for their first 5ks and training and gear pointers for triathlons. I have to say when people that are the non racing friends in my life are asking for my advice I have that moment of "wow I guess I do know a lil bit about this stuff". I think when I am constantly surrounded by people in my life that are immersed in racing I end up feeling like I am not as good as all of them but when a friend who you have known from HS or childhood asks for your help makes you realize maybe you really do know a thing or 2. I even had a random woman come up to me at the grocery store and ask me what I do to stay so fit. Coming up on this anniversary I am going to try to use this as a stepping stone for focusing on the accomplishments I have thus far and looking forward to an exciting 2012 season!