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The competition

The run in the Bronx Zoo was awesome! Coco & I ran the 5k in 36:36. Once we started, we never stopped, and we totally blew by a bunch of little kids and moms with strollers. (They might’ve passed us in the first mile, but we caught up!)

I wasn’t sure if I would make it — the most I’ve ever run without stopping is 15 minutes. But running with a giant group of people magically makes running much less exhausting. I was even carrying a huge waist pack with 2 water bottles the whole time (I do not recommend this product for running, but only Target was open & I wanted to be prepared for as many minor emergencies as possible). Fortunately, the bag was not necessary. There were water stations everywhere.

I’ve tried running several times, but always gave up after a couple weeks. I think this time is different though.

Preparing for the 5k took a long time. Lunchbox was skeptical that I would ever lace on a pair of running shoes, but he regrets doubting now.

Months 0–5: Mental training

1. Subscribed to Runner’s World & read it every month until running sounded unbelievably fun & cool.
2. Watched reality tv shows about overweight people (Big Medicine, The Biggest Loser, Bulging Brides, etc.) and felt impending doom.
3. Watched makeover shows (What Not to Wear, Extreme Makeover, etc.) to strengthen my vanity muscles.

Month 6: Planning

1. Asked Coco to do a race together & signed up for one that seemed 4 weeks too soon.
2. Asked Lunchbox to be my running buddy. Came up with a schedule (4x a week in the morning) that was frequent enough for us to flake out once. Came up with a backup plan in case we woke up too late to run.
3. Printed out Couch to 5k and Beginning Running and taped them to the wall.

Months 7–8: Running!

1. Followed a mix of the two running plans. Never, under any circumstances, ran more than was required of the plans. Ending the runs with a feeling of “I can run longer/faster than that” lead to anticipation (instead of dread) for the next run.
2. Kept a running log.
3. Told everyone that I was running the 5k in the zoo. Found out that lots of other people run too (it’s fun to talk about something other than work). Invited everyone to do the run with us (it’s fun to do something other than drink). We were a group of six by race day!
4. Rewarded myself with running gear & ice cream whenever possible.
5. Made plans for another 5k after the completing the zoo run.

The whole process was pretty fun. The only problem I had was with my knee caps, they would feel kind of wobbly and misaligned. I would take a break or cut a run short whenever they started to hurt. I tried to pay more attention to how my feet hit the ground, especially when going downhill. I also did some knee stretches & strengthening exercises.