It has taken me about a week to finally get this out of my head and out into the world. What a great experience, fAat yoGa’s first 5k and what a great time to do it. The morning of the race as usual C was up bright and early probably already ran laps, washed dishes, cleaned her car and planted a garden. I on the other hand needed a timely wakeup call, I planned on being up that early but it did not work out. I am the total opposite, takes me 15 minutes to sit up, another 5 to stand up and 2 minutes to walk. So as usual I received the call about ½ an hour before the race started and had to rush around to put on clothes, find socks, walk dogs and of course find my keys which I cursed until I realized they were in my pocket.
The race took place at the University of South Florida which is convieniently located right across the street from my complex. Being that it was right across the street I was down to walk to the race (very bad idea). I started to walk on the beautiful Saturday morning and kept walking, and walked some more until I realized wait I’m a mile in and I still have not seen the starting line. Well 2 additional miles later I arrived, at that point my already injured knee was starting to bother me. I was ready had my number on feeling great already walked 3 miles ready for some more. I was wearing my black shorts, fAat yoGa shirt, black sneakers, black socks and strapped to my arm was my black ipod oh and yes that’s right black shades. Yes you guessed it I was having one of those determined Panther moments geering up for a victorious fight.
We lined up, it was getting hot, we stood still, the music was driving me crazy, he raised the gun, I had it in my mind I would run through the gate, the shot rang out, I thought maybe I should have ate. We began walking some running, some skipping and some well not really sure what they were doing but we all were heading in the same direction trying to achieve the same goal. We set off and I was ready I scoped out the person I wanted to stay close to and proceeded to walk. One mile in I was thinking man I got this im good, by the time I hit the 1.5 mile marker my knee started throbbing. I was walking with a notciable limp and my right foot was beginning to blister due to the rubbing in my shoe. I almost gave up at that point, I heard the fatter me saying “just stop go home, float in the pool” and just like that I began to slow down. The good news is I didn’t stop I kept going, the determined never say quit athlete in me pushed on, I even began to jog (bad idea).
With one mile to go the pain was almost unbearable, the friction was causing my sock to heat up like it was going to burst. My knee felt like the muscle was being ripped from the bone but gimpy leg and all I kept going. Just when I thought I couldn’t do it any longer, I heard it, I heard the crowds and the cheers and the announcer verifying that the finish line was near. Then it happened I looked up and saw the word finish and crossed the line. I felt great and as I reached down to grab some ice water I noticed something was different, something was wrong. There I was with blistered feet, a jacked up leg and now my hands had swelled up. My hands were so swollen I could have put them in a bun and called them hot dogs lol. I couldn’t close my hands to make a fist or pick up a bag.
I secretely panicked I then thought that maybe it was the fact I did not eat before I walked 3 miles to get to the race then did another 3.5 miles during the race. Eventually I ran into our trainer and showed him my hands and he looked at me and said do you feel like you’re going to die, “no”, he then said ok you are fine. O_o that was my cue to go home and I walked home with swollen hands, a bum leg, blistered feet and chapped lips. I was able to watch the last people cross the line a 94yr old woman and a cancer patient and at that moment I felt like the pain I was in did not matter. What mattered was that I accomplished one thing I have never thought I would and that was the 5k. What mattered is that I raised money for such a great cause. What mattered is that every step I took felt like I was walking for my best friends, for strangers, for mothers, brothers, sisters, uncles, grandfathers, and grandmothers. What mattered is that I finished, we finished, fAat yoGa finished.
*****side note*** Here is a healthy tip:If you wear those ugly shape up shoes please please please get a new pair if they start to lean to the side. Unless you are trying something knew such as working on your love handles I would strongly suggest purchasing a new pair.
Buy a good pair of sneakers and buy sneakers that are good for the activity you are doing. Wearing basketball sneakers to play tennis is not a good idea. Tennis shoes to play golf will get you no where.
Proper clothing is a must, for women invest in a good sports bra, for men really focus on the type of underwear your using depending on activity.
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