First 5k Run

So because I am preparing for an 18k Mud Masters obstacle run next month and I am dating someone who apparently likes to run, a 5k city run was bound to happen...

Steve has been helping me train and is pretty much the sole source of my motivation for running.  Because let's face it...I hate running.  But running with him is actually fun.  Although he could run at a much faster pace for a longer time and leave me in the dust, he doesn't.  He lets me set the pace, but still pushes me just enough to improve.

with Steve in Venlo

Two weeks ago, I officially completed my first 5k run EVER!  It was in the city of Venlo, the Netherlands, about a 40-minute drive from where I live.  Besides the 5k, they also had a 10k and a half-marathon.  There were almost 13,000 runners total between the three races and many thousand more volunteers, supporters, and cheerleaders.  Random strangers were lined up on the street cheering for us the whole way.  There were even small bands playing on the sidewalks.

One thing I did not anticipate was all the extra energy needed to pass people.  When I practiced running, I always stayed at a steady pace throughout the run.  But having to slow down and speed up again over a long period of time is exhausting.  By 3.5km I was so tired!  I had to slow my pace down a little, but Steve stuck with me.  By the time we hit the 4km mark, he started encouraging me.  And once we were within 250 meters, I kicked it into high gear.  First there were thousands of people cheering for me to keep going,  second Steve was telling me it was almost over, and third I wanted to finish strong.  After crossing the finish line, I was completely exhausted and could barely even walk straight.  But I made my goal of under 30 minutes and finished with a time of 29:04!