I Ran a 5K and Nobody Can Take This From Me

So I did it. I ran my first 5K this morning and I am BUZZING.

I Ran a 5K and Nobody Can Take This From Me

My time was 32 minutes and 47 seconds, which is basically a brisk walk for some people, but I DON’T CARE. I ran 3.1 miles without stopping once. Three months ago I got winded walking up the stairs with a laundry basket.

I started running in January because I needed twenty minutes where nobody needed anything from me. Just me, my sneakers, and whatever terrible pop music was on the radio. Marcus thought I was having a midlife crisis at 24. Sophie thought Mommy was playing a very boring game of tag with herself. But somewhere between week three and week eight of my Couch to 5K app, something shifted. I wasn’t just running away from things anymore - I was running toward something.

This morning, standing at that start line with 500 other people in matching race bibs, I felt like I could do anything. And you know what? I can. I have a toddler who thinks sleep is optional, a husband who leaves his socks everywhere, and I’m working night shifts at the hospital. If I can do all that AND run 3.1 miles, I’m basically superhuman. Next goal: beat my own time. Watch out, world.

Marcus took this photo when I got home, still sweaty and probably looking like I’d been hit by a truck, but I made him take it anyway. This is what victory looks like at 24 with a two-year-old. Not sorry about it.