I did it! Sunday was the St. Patrick’s Day race, and I successfully ran the 5k!

I must say, I was completely terrified when I first got to the starting point. I didn’t sleep the night before out of pure terror I’d miss the race because of daylight savings. I got down to the start line at 7:40am and waited for my race to start at 8.

Although my friends were there to cheer me on, I felt completely out of my element. There were over 7,000 runners in the 5k alone, and 21,000 total (5k, 8k, and 15k combined). People were stretching in the streets, beside trees, and against lamp posts. As I stood there in my minute-mile section I started to get really anxious and thought, “What am I doing here? I’m not a runner”.

Seconds later the horn went off and it was my section’s time to go. All feeling of nausea and anxiety flew quickly out the window as I started jogging along with everyone in the streets downtown. I instantly felt a wave of confidence come over me. This was different from my daily jog down the street and back. I felt like I was a part of something. About halfway through, I passed my friends on the sidewalk. They screamed my name and cheered me on, and gave me another boost of confidence to keep going.

I surprised and impressed myself when I could see the finish line in sight. I thought, “I haven’t stopped running the entire time!” A couple of blocks before finish, my friends had caught up with me one last time. As I passed them I felt a surge of energy and excitement pass through my veins, and I sprinted the rest of the way to the finish!

I was so proud of myself for accomplishing my goals. I successfully completed a 5k, I ran the entire time, and surprised myself when I found out I ran the 3.1 miles in under 30 minutes! I felt like Valerie Bertinelli when she ran her first half-marathon! If you put your mind to it, you can succeed at anything! Looking back, I was so scared and terrified I almost let it get in the way of achieving my goal, but now all I can think about is the next race I’m going to run! I’ve found a new hobby and am excited to see what other goals I can set and achieve next!

My St. Patrick’s Day race is this weekend and I’m excited! I have never participated in a race before and I will be running with 21,000 people! A little intimidating, huh?

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about how I got an allergy infection. To be honest, I made it an excuse to not run for a few days after I felt better. It wasn’t because I was lazy (ok, maybe a little) or didn’t want to run out of fear I’d get another infection. I made excuses simply because I was scared of the race itself.

I’ve been thinking; instead of being scared and nervous for this race, why not embrace it? After all, I decided to do this and it’s not like I was forced. I reminded myself of the reasons why I decided to sign up:

-To do something new

-Achieve a new goal

-Run a race without walking or stopping

-Support a local children’s hospital by signing up and participating

-Prove to myself I can do whatever I put my mind to

-Stop using asthma as an excuse for not running

-Jumpstart my running “career” for future races and longer distances

Another thought came to mind: Valerie. Valerie Bertinelli recently discussed in her new Jenny Craig blog and video post that she is headed to Italy on vacation, and is still committed to running the Boston marathon when she comes back. It was really motivating and inspirational because many of us (myself included) tend to put things in the way of accomplishing goals, not because we think we can’t, but because we’re scared.

I’ve been running everyday now for the past week and a half to prepare for this Sunday and I’m going to run again tonight! Wish me luck, and if anyone else is getting ready for a race or marathon I wish you luck too!

So as I previously pledged, I’m going to participate in the local St. Patrick’s Day race. I officially signed up this morning (eek!), and now I have to stick with it! I’m going to have to figure out a good routine to either get up early or run after work to train. I have a little less than a month so wish me luck and I’ll keep you posted! If you’re interested in finding a local race or marathon check out Cool Running’s website and find what’s coming up in your area!

In the meantime, since today starts my “no eating after dinner” vow for the next 46 days (April 3^rd seems so far away!) I’ve been trying to think of other ways I can get excited and enthusiastic besides late-night snacking while watching the Olympics.

I’ve decided I’m going to replace a bad habit with a good one. I absolutely LOVE to cook, although I do prefer baking! Since I can’t (correction, won’t) eat late at night, I’m going to make phenomenal dinners so I won’t have the desire or the stomach space to eat late.

Rather than just going to the grocery store and roaming the aisles for inspiration I decided visiting local farmers’ markets would be more fun! Not only are there awesome fruits and veggies that you can sample, but some of the stands offer free recipes as well! It’s a great way to get out with friends or family, and be a part of the community and get fresh produce. I found a great website where you can look up your local farmers’ markets, so rather than lounge around all weekend I’m going to hit up my local farmers’ markets! I’m excited to see what I can find, taste, and take back to create my next masterpiece! Who needs late-night snacks now?!