Happy Birthday USA!!!
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| July 4th Parade |
I’ve had a goal for most of 2012; I wanted to do a 5k (about
3 miles, and most people run the course). Our employer sponsors one annually in
June and I have always wanted to do it, for three years now I have wanted to do
it. The first year I hurt my foot, the second year I had to work that day and
this year I wound up not doing it again. I was also always a bit nervous
wondering if I actually could do it. With all my health/leg problems I have
been uncertain if I still had the get-up-and-go I used to have. The big reason
I wanted to do a 5k was to show myself I could.
I started a training program in April, but it was one I did
not keep up with. I tried the treadmill, I did laps around the park with walk
one minute, jog the next, then you increase the time for each period of running
and walking. Well, I am not a runner, I am a walker. Besides even though a
training class was offered by my employer to help us get ready, my manager gave
me such grief about leaving for the class every Monday that I gave it up. Our
town does a big shindig and parade every year for the 4th of July and
they have a 5k. I decided I would do it. It was only a few days away when I
decided this.
My partner in ‘crime’ lately had been by daughter-in-law.
She’s been by concert buddy, lunch, shopping, get into mischief and have fun
buddy lately because hubby does not like to go to concerts and my son (who was
my previous concert and movie buddy has been in Japan). I knew if I asked her
she would do it with me, and we could both take turns pushing the grand-baby in
the stroller the whole way. Yes, she was game to do it so we both decided we
would walk the 5k while pushing the stroller. I was still nervous about
actually doing a 5k.
I awoke on the forth to the sound of ornamental canon fire,
which happens every year at the break of dawn on the fourth of July. I spied
the clock and thought I saw that the time was too late and I had already missed
the start of the 5k race. I rolled over in bed and decided “Oh well, I’ll try
again next year since I missed it this year”, and went back to sleep. I had had
a bad night with my legs and did not sleep well. I was in no condition to do a
5k. Short of having a full blown panic attack during the night, which happens
when my health burden gets overwhelming, I got up at 1 am and took a prednisone
to ease the pain and swelling. Those prednisone pills are reserved for
emergencies and I use them about once a month, if all else fails.
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| I finish the 5K! |
We walked the 5k in one hour! The uphill part was a bit
daunting, and we were being passed by the runners doing the 10k, actually
running double the distance we were merely walking, but WE DID IT!!!!!!! One
runner heard us talking as he went by I said “I don’t care if we come in last,
I just want to do it.” Then he gave us encouragement, he understood where we
were coming from. Thanks, sir!
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| My daughter-in-law finishes the 5k! |
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| Grand-baby finishes the 5K! |
At the end, we just slowed to a stop and figured we would
just go home, but my sweet daughter-in-law said no you have to go through the
finish gates since you finished the race. Yes! Victory was sweet even though we
did not get an official time or place or anything like that. I do know I came
in first in the category of grannies pushing grandkids in strollers! Yay me! I
am looking forward to my next 5 k.
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