From Mountain to Molehill

On Friday afternoon, I finally told Jackson my Saturday plans.  He spat out, "And you going to get a trophy?" His enthusiasm was just what I needed, and yet it added to the nervousness I was already feeling. 


In the beginning of the year, I decided that it was time to make goals.  I didn't set New Year's resolutions for a lot of years because I figured they were pointless because I never accomplished them, and the goals I usually set were things I should just be doing every day.  Well, this year, I knew that I needed goals because I didn't seem to accomplish anything.  If you remember, my mantra for this year was "I Can Do It!"

Well, I set the goal to run a 5K this year. In March when my crusade to get healthy started taking off (thanks to Natalie - I love you, Woman!),  I started working up to running the 3.1 miles a few times a week.  By July, I let the same fear that prevented me from running a 5K the year before take over because I saw that I just couldn't hit my goal of a 5K in 30 minutes, and I just couldn't seem to get out in the summer to exercise (I admit I just wasn't disciplined enough to get up at 5:30 a.m. and go running).  I had resorted to the fact that I just couldn't do it and that I would "one day." 
 
Back in October,  my older brother William encouraged me to run a 5K with him and his wife in November.  He would compete in the triathlon, and Debbie and I would run the 5K. I had three weeks to prepare, and he was confident I could do it.  It wasn't about winning, he said, it was about working toward a goal and accomplishing it.

William and his wife Debbie have been some of my inspiration for a couple of years.  A year and a half ago, they started doing P90X and began losing weight.  They both exercise on a daily basis, and they try to eat healthy.  I've been talking to them for a long time about how they keep it up, and, basically, they hold to the basic beliefs: eat right, count your calories, and exercise.  They haven't cut out all sugar and treats.  I know this to be true because Deb still makes THE BEST chocolate chip cookies, and William will eat an entire bag of candy corn once in a while (hehe).  Yet at age 40, they are in the best health of their lives and look fantastic.  If they can do it at 10 years older than I am, I CAN do it now.

When Will invited me to join them, I admit that although I was nervous, I finally felt like I could do it.  For the next few weeks, I ran once or twice a week.  My fastest 5K time ended up being 40 minutes.  It was longer than I wanted it to be, but I could jog the entire time, and I knew I could finish.

On Tuesday, I still hadn't registered.  I was nervous.  That molehill of a 5K loomed over me like a mountain.  My current speed bump was a road block.  Could I?  I still wasn't for sure if Will and Deb were coming up.   That night, my brother called.  Had I registered yet?  Was I going to run?  Matt sat beside me and told that I needed to do this, that I COULD do it.  William had decided that he couldn't compete in the triathlon, and Debbie had a family activity to attend, but if I were going to run, they would be there for me.  They would run WITH me.  I made the decision then and there that I was going to do it.  My brother and sister-in-law were going to be up here anyway, but the fact that they were still driving 300 miles to be with me meant a lot.  I admit I was very emotional and still am when I think about them.

Saturday finally came after several dreams of me not making it to the race, oversleeping, and getting lost trying to figure out where to go and what to do.  Jackson was ready to run.  He told me that I wouldn't win because he was going to win.  The hardest part of the morning was telling Jackson that he probably wouldn't be able to run with me. As we drove down the street at a very normal hour for us on a weekday, just early for a Saturday, Jackson announced that it was so early and that everyone else was sleeping.  (It was 7:00 a.m.)

My adrenaline was pumping; my nerves were jumping.  I had talked the night before with my brother, and he was so encouraging.  They were going to be there.  This was going to be my "Biggest Loser" moment.  (You know when the contestants finally do something they didn't think they could do, and they break out in tears afterward.)  I met them at the venue an hour before the race was to start. We got our numbers, our bodies marked (although we didn't really need it since we weren't competing in the triathlon), and picked up our ankle bracelets timing chips.

I was proud to wear my age on my leg.  At 30, I'm finally getting my life back in order.  This is the year I'm making a difference in my own life. I'm finally finding myself and peeling the layers.

For the next 45 minutes, we stretched, warmed up, and laughed together.  There was such a feeling of camaraderie in the crowd.  It was being there and dancing to the music.  Jackson warmed up with us, still determined to race until I told him that he couldn't this time.

Needless to say, he was put out.

By race time, 8:30 a.m., the sun had come up, and it was warming up.  Personally, I'll take 48 degrees in November for a race any day.

 We lined up with the crowd to wait the air horn signal to get started. 

The race started, and I knew that hundreds would pass by me, and I wanted them to so that they wouldn't fall on top of me.  Will told me that we would keep going, no matter what; we weren't worrying about everyone else.  They were staying with me the whole time.

 William was my own personal trainer throughout the race, giving me tips and telling me that I was doing great.  He was never once discouraging.  He would say, "We're going to pass these people" or "Just to the top of the hill" or "We've already gone this far" to keep me going.  He stood either right beside me or just ahead of me the entire time.  Debbie stayed a few paces ahead to keep the pace.  She gave me incentive to run harder and to keep going.  She was continually shouting back, "Good job, Mira.  You're doing great!"  When I got to the hill and then the "more hill," they let me get in my zone, but kept telling me to keep going.  They kept me smiling and positive, even when I couldn't feel my thighs (they were beyond burning) trudging up the hill.  There were several times, my black moments when my mind said, "You can't, you're spent," that I wanted to reach over and grab my brother's arm or jacket to pull me up the hill, but I didn't because I knew I could do this myself.  I had to do it myself.  And you know what, I did it myself.
 
When we saw the sign that said "Finish" with an arrow pointing, we were sure we only had a tenth of a mile, but it turned out to be more like half a mile.  It was disappointing, but I kept going.  Seriously, I was hoping for a massive time difference, but I just knew it wasn't going to be when I saw I had to run around the park, too.  Somewhere, my Energizer Bunny surfaced, and I suddenly had more energy.  I finished the race four minutes faster than I had in a month.

Jackson and Matt waited at the finish line.  I know that Jackson had a hard time waiting for so long, but he did some laps around the sidewalk and wandered around while Matt took pictures. 

We finished together. 

My time was 36:19.  Yes, I'm thrilled.  If I can shave four minutes off my time, I can definitely shave six minutes eventually.  I can push myself to get better.  I did have my moment afterward when I walked "it off" and cried for a few moments. I can't wait for the day when a 5K seems like an easy run.

I'm still humbled that Will and Deb would spend $30 to run a race for me - that they would sacrifice their time and their efforts to help me.  Their personal bests are around 22-25 minutes, and they stayed and finished with me at time and a half for them. 

Thank you, Will and Deb, for helping me over my mountain.  It doesn't look as tall now as it did, and I now can see that if I climb it again and again, I will get stronger.  I love you both so very much.

Thanks, also to Matt and Jackson, my biggest cheerleaders.  Jackson still tells me how fun it was and how cool my T-shirt is (yes, that's my $30 shirt, Aimee).  I tell him that maybe in the spring, when I run the next one, he can run with me.  And yes, I'm going to work even harder.  I want to be healthy, I want to be happy, and I have the best people in my life to help make that happen!