I Ran….and I wasn’t even being chased

At the beginning of the year, I posted a few “resolutions” that I wanted to work on this year. The last resolution, the one we almost all have, was to get in better shape and maybe lose a little weight. I’ve made a few strides toward that goal as the year is unfolding…one of which was joining a gym for the first time in probably 15+years. No, I didn’t just join, I actually go. So, yay for me!
​Many, many years ago I used to run….or jog….or walk really, really fast and I even entered a few races, not with the idea that I would ever win a single thing, but just to participate and feel accomplished. It’s been over 10 years since I ran in any kind of race whatsoever.
​So, when I got an email that the Peoria Humane Society was hosting The HUMANe Race
​to raise money for the humane society, I thought what better way to support a cause that is near and dear AND give myself a fitness goal to work towards. Well, that would have been great, had I actually worked toward that fitness goal. Instead, I spent time on the elliptical machine, ran for no more than 5 or 10 minutes on a treadmill a couple times, ate like it’s “two thousand zero, zero party over oops outta time”…..and basically ignored the fact that the day of the race was fast approaching and then suddenly it was here….
​It had been a miserably, rainy weekend and my only prayer was that rain would overtake the day and the race would have to be postponed. No such luck, so I drove to the park, sat in the car and tried to tell myself every possible excuse to not participate. I mean, it was also a 1 mile walk…I could just do that. No, I signed up for a 5k, I’m doing the 5K, even if I’m dead last and it takes me an hour……but truthfully, I did not want to be dead last and I was sure that I could walk it faster than 1 hour. So, we line up, she blows the horn and we’re off.
​”Oh this isn’t so bad”……
​”I’ll just pace myself and stay here toward the back of the pack, then when they all get tired, I’ll pass them…..”
First hill. “Oh God, why did you let me think I could do this?”
​”I’ll just walk a few minutes…” but there better be people still behind me…..
​Then, I started running, slowly and at a pace I could keep up…..it was kind of like riding a bike. More hills, more walking, the front of the pack never did get tired….I never did pass them, but I kept going. It seemed like I ran 10 miles and as I approached the finish, I expected to see at least 50 minutes or more had passed. To my surprise, I saw the clock ticking at 34 minutes….WHAT? IMPOSSIBLE! They must not have started the clock when we started the race…there has to be a mistake! But I”ll take it. I did it. I may not be able to move tomorrow, but I DID IT! I couldn’t be happier about accomplishing that. I RAN!….AND I wasn’t even being chased!