This morning, I ran the BunnyDash 5K in Palatine. I started running just a few weeks ago, after not doing much physical activity (aside from the occasional game of basketball or ultimate frisbee and the regular activity of chasing my kids around) for years. Yes, I said years. Yikes. And wow, I am ashamed to even admit that.
When I first decided to run this race, my one and only goal was to actually run it, and not stop to walk. That may sound like a wimpy goal, but I had no idea what to expect. It had been so long since I'd actually worked out on a regular basis that I had little idea of what I could do, especially since I only started running a few weeks before the race, and only 2-3 times per week at that! This past week, after getting a better idea of how fast (slow?) I could run, I made another goal for myself....to run the race in under 30 minutes.
For a girl that has never enjoyed running (unless I was also dribbling a basketball or hoping to catch a frisbee), I can honestly say that I have come to find some enjoyment in it. It's nice to get out of the house for a time, and of course it's rewarding to know that I am doing something productive for my out-of-shape self. Hopefully, I'll manage to keep up with it, at least somewhat. Now that the weather is getting warmer, it will be nice to be able to run outside, instead of around the little indoor track at our park district where I have to go around 15 times just for 1 mile!
Here are a few photos from the morning...
The 2 big kids with the bunny...
(Meredith kept calling him "Nunny", and cried when she couldn't see him any more.)
While I ran, Caleb ran around the fields and found sticks. Meredith enjoyed the animals they had to see...
My friend Jen...
With Aunt Deb...
My friends Lisa and Katie...
Caleb and his friend Cora getting ready for the 100-yard dash/egg hunt.
Basketful...
In case you are wondering, I met both my goals. I didn't stop to walk, and I ran it in just under 30 minutes (28 minutes, 40 seconds).
Oh, and the quote of the day: When Caleb was talking on the phone to grandma today, he told her, "Mommy runs almost as fast as I do!" Hmmm....
For a girl that has never enjoyed running (unless I was also dribbling a basketball or hoping to catch a frisbee), I can honestly say that I have come to find some enjoyment in it. It's nice to get out of the house for a time, and of course it's rewarding to know that I am doing something productive for my out-of-shape self. Hopefully, I'll manage to keep up with it, at least somewhat. Now that the weather is getting warmer, it will be nice to be able to run outside, instead of around the little indoor track at our park district where I have to go around 15 times just for 1 mile!
Here are a few photos from the morning...
The 2 big kids with the bunny...
(Meredith kept calling him "Nunny", and cried when she couldn't see him any more.)
While I ran, Caleb ran around the fields and found sticks. Meredith enjoyed the animals they had to see...
My friend Jen...
With Aunt Deb...
My friends Lisa and Katie...
Caleb and his friend Cora getting ready for the 100-yard dash/egg hunt.
Basketful...
In case you are wondering, I met both my goals. I didn't stop to walk, and I ran it in just under 30 minutes (28 minutes, 40 seconds).
Oh, and the quote of the day: When Caleb was talking on the phone to grandma today, he told her, "Mommy runs almost as fast as I do!" Hmmm....
