I recently achieved a goal that I didn't think I would ever do. What you ask???? I completed my very first 5K run/walk. YAY!! <<insert happy dance>> This might not be a big deal to some but anyone that "really" knows me understands that this is a big deal. This wasn't just an ordinary run...It was a color run.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with a color run: You come dressed in a white shirt and leave very colorful due to colored corn starch being thrown/sprayed when you get to color stations throughout the 5K. VERY MESSY but FUN!
The week of the 5K was very stressful. It was stressful for a number of reasons...
1. I was exhausted from working 5 weeks of my summer vacation.
2. Friday's fieldtrip to the beach drained my energy.
3. I was concerned about protecting my protective style(Senegalese twist).
4. By Friday evening, I was exhausted but realized I didn't have everything I needed for Saturday. So, to the store I had to go.
5. I hadn't worked out in the three weeks prior to the 5K.
Needless to say, by Friday evening, I was excited about the idea of the 5K but there was a percentage of my mind that said "Girl, you don't want to do this, so stay at home". I made a conscious decision to dismiss those thoughts and continue preparing what I needed for Saturdays run/walk. I woke up about 6:30 a.m. in order to have time to eat and be "on-time" meeting my friend.
In order to make this post shorter...FAST FORWARD(Although, the car ride was hilarious) :-) LOL
We got to the park around 9:30 and instantly, I started getting even more excited. The energy of the people was magnetic. If you weren't excited, you wanted to be excited because everyone around you was so amped. Once our wave started, I paced myself and started walking. Once I did start jogging, I could totally feel that I hadn't been to a gym. I thought it would be better if I walked for a while longer. Which, I quickly learned that when you go through these color stations, you get way more thrown at you when you walk. Eventually, I started back jogging and am unsure where my burst of energy came from. I jogged a longer time than I said I would. Thank you God for muscle memory! :-) My friend jogged longer times but would wait for me before color stations. I didn't mind this because I knew what I thought I could do and didn't want to hold her back. Eventually, we were walking/jogging together. After more walking and jogging...we finally made it to the finished line. What a great moment! I was actually feeling like I could go longer. I was slightly disappointment that it was over. I had so much fun. Not just before and after the race but DURING the race was equally as exciting.
Here are lessons I realized:
1. Don't give up before you start!
-I was so close to not going. Not because I thought that it wouldn't be fun. But because I knew I hadn't prepared as much as I should have and wouldn't meet my other goal of jogging the entire time.
2. Don't be afraid of the unfamiliar!
- Not doing something because you've never done it means you'll never do it. If I hadn't had this 5K experience, I would've never done it. And wouldn't be looking forward to the next one.
3. Preparation and Perspective are Paramount.
- I realized taking those 3 weeks off was not beneficial to me achieving my goal. Because I didn't properly prepare, it began to affect my perspective. Having these two things in check are so important. They can make and/or break a person.
4. Things that seem big in the moment are not so big when you look at the bigger picture.
- I was sooo concerned about protecting my hair. They were not about to get that in my hair. In the words of Sweet Brown, "Ain't nobody got time fa dat". LOL :-) I wasn't sure how or what would be the best method to protect but I committed to something and just went with it. Looking back...this was not a big deal at all.
Also, I almost didn't show up because I felt that I wouldn't reach what I deemed as a goal. Sometimes, life has a way of twisting things. I thought my achievement rested on running the whole time. It didn't. I was successful in my eyes just because I showed up, didn't stop and finished.. It's not whether you're the fastest or slowest. Just stay in your lane, give it all you have, Keep your eyes on the end goal and God will do the rest. Hallelujah! ;-)
5. In life, it's always great to have a friend who will not leave you when you're behind.
- In this day and age, good friends are hard to come by. As I've gotten older, I realize that not everyone is your friend and within friendships there are different types. When you have friends that won't leave you when your down but will encourage and wait, you know you have a true friend who cares.
6. Have fun in the process!
I'm sure while reading this you will get other nuggets(at least I did) to take on your journey. While coming to the end of this post, I thought about lyrics to a song. These lyrics resonated with me from the moment I heard it in 2001 on the Oprah Winfrey Show. They have floated in and out of my life through the years. It's called "I hope you dance" by Lee Ann Womack.
Be Blessed!"I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin' might mean takin' chances but they're worth takin',...I hope you dance".
Simply Natural
