Commitment Day 5K

On January 1, Lifetime Fitness sponsored the Commitment Day 5K. In thirty cities across the country, people ran or walked to commit to a healthier lifestyle. This was my first organized 5K. Although I'd done a couple of virtual 5Ks, this was the first time I'd hit that distance in a public forum.

I was quite nervous about finishing the race because my training had fallen off lately. Between my back issues, getting ready for baby, and the holidays, exercise was not a priority (although it should be!). I was also out really late the night before, at a New Year's Eve party. I got about 5 hours of sleep, and when I woke up, I was NOT feeling it. It was also only about 19 degrees.

Despite all this, my husband and I got up, dressed in layers, and ate a quick breakfast of nut butter on toast and OJ. We headed out to the bus, but had forgotten that it was running on the Sunday/Holiday schedule, so we had to wait longer than we normally would. By the time the bus showed up, our toes were already tingling.

from the Commitment Day facebook page

We got down to the race site about 20 minutes before it started. there weren't a lot of people, probably less than 100 runners. I was able to walk right to the registration table and get my bib: #309. There was a spot to write down your commitment day resolution, but I didn't have a pen. J-Dawg wasn't registered (we weren't sure if he'd be off work or not), but he was going to walk it with me.

There weren't really any vendors, but a couple of the sponsors had booths set up. One, a car dealership (I can't remember which one) was giving out water and bananas. J-Dawg had brought his water bottle, but he did grab a piece of fruit and gobbled it down before the race. I wasn't hungry.

Soon, they announced the start of the race. Hubby and I got to the back of the crowd. I knew I wouldn't be moving very fast on such a cold day.

There wasn't a big crowd, but there were quite a few people along the route who were cheering us on. By the time I got to mile one, I was starting to thaw out a bit, I could feel my toes again. It was a strange dichotomy: my arms and back were so hot, but my thighs and feet were frozen. My lungs and throat were hurting from the cold, but I had my neck gaiter on and would pull it up to breathe through when my chest really started hurting.

J-Dawg was a big motivator on this day. He kept up a steady stream of chatter and told me over and over again how proud he was of me, that I could finish this race, that he loved me, and that we were kicking butt! It was amazing and I am so thankful that he came along, both as my "official photog" as well as my personal motivational speaker! I am one lucky girl!

The route was bit hillier than what I'm used to. Although there weren't huge hills, the inclines were enough to leave me panting as I reached the top. Luckily, the route backtracked a couple of times so I was able to make up some seconds downhill.

This race wasn't timed. It wasn't about how fast you could finish, it was about getting your butt up and doing it. When I hit mile two, I was tired and sore and so, so cold. If my husband hadn't been there, I don't know if I would have finished this one. My nose was running and I was just... grumpy. I don't know how he puts up with me sometimes!

By this point, I knew we were the last ones in the race, the pace truck was behind us. However, a lot of people and families were walking, so there were plenty of people just a few feet ahead which helped keep me on track.

We made it to that third mile marker and I could see the finish line. Crossing under that banner filled me with such a sense of accomplishment! I may have been the very last one, but I did it, and that's a lot more than many people can say.

My official time: 1:02:44. We probably would have come in under an hour if we hadn't stopped to take pics. I didn't realize I was moving this quickly, and so far, it's my personal best!

We didn't get medals in this race. I wish we had... love me some bling!

Something that was different about this race was that you didn't get your swag at the beginning. Instead, you got it at the finish line. I received a nylon mini backpack, my t-shirt, and a training journal. The journal is really neat, filled with lots of tips, advice, and motivational tidbits. The t-shirt is pretty nice, a dark grey with orange stitching and lots of bold graphics. It's a fairly solid cotton blend too. Even hubby got a t-shirt, even though he wasn't registered. They were starting to pack up and had plenty, so the volunteer said he could have one. We'll post a pic soon when we're wearing them! They had gatorade, apples, bananas, and Sun Chips to nosh on. They had granola bars also, but the box was empty by the time we got to it. I snagged a banana and two bottles of gatorade (one for later!), but I wasn't terribly hungry. J-Dawg got an apple, some french onion chips, and a gatorade. By this time, most people had dispursed. There wasn't any kind of entertainment and no vendors, and it was freezing, so I can totally understand why. After taking a few minutes to rest, we headed back to the bus stop and were home before noon. 

Overall, I really enjoyed the race. It was simple, well organized, and spread the message of getting fit. It was the inaugural race, but I hope they continue it. 

My first race of 13 in 2013 is in the bag! Check out Jill's page to find out how to join up!