I downloaded Couch to 5K and went to a local running store and go some new shoes. I did some walking for the sales person and was told I had flat feet. I don't have very high arches, but they're not flat. I got some shoes with stability and started slogging away.
I got a bit discouraged. I couldn't do what Couch to 5K said I should be able to. I figured if I kept going I'd catch up, but eventually, I ended up doing my own thing. The other issue I had was my feet hurt, I got shin splints and I ached. I figured it was being sore from being inactive for so long. But it never went away.
So I did what any smart person would do, I quit running. Then the Eastbay catalog showed up at my house. I looked at running shoes and ordered a pair. Give this thing one more shot. Well once the new shoes arrived, things were F A B U L O U S!!! My feet felt great, there was no pain, and I was enjoying running. These were neutral shoes and I didn't even wear socks. I figured it was time to get going. I ran and ran and ran, well, slogged.
The farthest I ever went was about 2 miles. Those were my long runs. It seemed to take me forever to get to that point. Started with a log of 1 1/2 mile runs to 2 mile runs. Finally, I was able to complete a 2 1/2 mile run and decided it was time to put myself to the test and sign up for a 5K.
I signed up for a local race, Max's Race in East Lansing. I actually picked it because there were no "hills." The race report said it was an easy flat race with very few hills. What a bunch of shit. More on that later. So I paid my fee and was excited, motivated, and ready to get going.
The Friday before the race and after my class, I stopped at the running store and picked up my T-shirt, race bib, and safety pins.
My first ever race bib.
I was all set. I arrived the next morning bright and early on the campus of Michigan State University for the race. I stretched out and wandered around. The MSU cheerleaders were there and so was Sparty, MSU's mascot.
While I wandered around, I saw people running. I don't mean they were jogging 30 - 50 yards and loosening up. They were running. Doing sprints, running 2 block squares. This shit just got real. This was serious business. I never knew. Yes, I was quite the newbie.
Soon, they called for people to line up. I knew enough that I needed to be in the back. I was not going set any land speed records. So, I waited and got in line the "back." I never looked behind me again. Well, I should have. I was so concerned with getting my music set up and my running apps going, it never occurred to me that I was no longer in the "back." Yes, I became one of "THOSE" people.
The gun went off and I got passed by hundreds of people. Blowing by me on all sides. They were flying up the first hill. WAIT, what?!?! This is supposed to be flat. NOT SO MUCH!!! We ran up Farm Lane and it's a half a block of flat to a 2 block up hill. Okay, this should be it then, no more hills. The course designed changed from the previous year. MSU does construction in the summer, like most colleges, when the students are away.
I made it up the first hill. I was slogging great. The course ran down to the football practice facility, around to the basketball arena, the hockey arena, around the football stadium and then the famous statute of Sparty.
And then all hell broke loose. The "hills" started. It was a roller coaster of hills. At this point, I was about halfway through the race. The course runs down to the banks of the Red Cedar River. There are bridges for students to cross every so often. Well, the path next to the river goes up to meet the bridge and then back down. Try 3 of those, steep tall "hills", not FUN. I made it back to close to the start, but not done yet. I had to run back up that hill cross the street and back down the other side. I wasn't running, er slogging, much anymore. A lot of walking breaks were occurring.
Once I had crossed the street and gone down the hill on the other side, I had to follow the side walk back UP the hill towards a dormitory. Once at the top of the hill, near front of the dorm, I ran down the hill along side the dorm. Then behind the dorm, to run back up towards the front, yes that's another HILL. I slogged along Shaw Lane, which runs in front of the dorm, for about 50 feet, then it was back down the hill. Only to return back up it AGAIN!!!! This is getting ridiculous. When I got to the top of that, I was told there were no more hills, THANK GAWD!!!! I was just about D E A D!!!
I crossed the Red Cedar and was told it was all down hill from there. I passed behind the Alumni Chapel where I got married and I could hear the crowd and the announcer. The bibs have a RFID chip in them and my name was announced when I neared the finish line. Not a bad deal, might even make me want to come back and torture myself again.
I finished in 43'35". My first race. I grabbed some chocolate milk and a banana. I made it and survived. I didn't hang around for the awards, cause I knew I wasn't going to get any. I didn't know too many people there and I didn't see any of them in the crowd anywhere to stay and chat with them. I headed to my car and made for home.
Some told me after that race that I had gotten a bib, I slogged the entire course and finished, and that I was officially a runner. WOW, that felt pretty good.
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