5K Madness!

Bright and early on Saturday morning, I rolled out of bed, got dressed in my favorite running outfit, brushed my teeth, slicked my hair back, and started stretching. At around 6:45am, my cousin Bonnie and I headed over to the race. We were very early, but she still needed to register so we figured it wouldn't hurt. It also gave me extra stretch time.

Bonnie - ready to run!
Bonnie and me - she is 12 years younger than me. Do I look that much older?

A little while later Melissa and the boys arrived. The boys tortured potato bugs while we waited.

Melissa, Bonnie and me

At a little after 8:00am the race begun. Melissa and I started off running for as long as we could. Make that as long as I could! She was so patient with me. Then we alternated between walking and running, taking advantage of as many downhill segments as possible. I waved Bonnie on ahead because I knew she was way faster than me.

Bonnie finishing the race with Grace and Tucker.
About 8 minutes after Bonnie crossed the finish line, it was Melissa's and my turn.

I had had a tough time at the end. I was losing energy and I desperately needed water. I'm the type of person that needs to drink water and stay hydrated throughout, and we had only had one water station. I will have to remember that for the future and make sure that I have enough!

Crossing the finish line almost five minutes faster than we thought we would!

Melissa is the best cheerleader and the best person to run with. She kept me motivated and helped me get past the tough parts. I know three miles doesn't seem like that much, but it really is for me. I am hoping to continue training and work up to longer distances, but I'm happy that I finished the race and did better than I had planned.

At the end of the race!
Part of the trail - it was beautiful! 70 degrees and cloudy. Perfect for running.