Earlier this year I decided to do something previously unfathomable – I signed up for a 5K run. Let me start off by saying I’ve never been a runner. In fact, I dreaded having to do the annual 2.5K run in middle school every year because I was just so terrible at running. (Also, shouldn’t PE marks be based on participation and not athletic ability?) 

It was during covid lockdown that I begrudgingly decided to get back on the treadmill. To my surprise, four years later I’ve managed to keep up with my weekly runs. I started off with a combination of walking and jogging, before being able to keep a consistent pace throughout the entire run. 

When I initially tracked my time, it took me about 20 minutes to complete a 2.5K run. While I can’t say my time has improved drastically, I did manage to increase my pace as well as my distance, so that I was running 3K three times a week. A 5K race still seemed a bit far-fetched, but I really wanted to do something big before my next birthday, so I signed up for the race back in January and hoped for the best.

Since the race wasn’t until the end of April, I dedicated one day on the weekend to test out a 5K run. The first few runs weren’t the greatest, but I managed to make decent time on those while on the treadmill. My biggest challenge was transitioning to running outdoors and learning to pace myself for each kilometre. I also found out the hard way (pun intended) just how different it was running on pavement.

Leading up to the race I was both nervous and excited. I picked up my bib and race kit two days before. The forecast was looking good for the actual day of the run. That morning I got to Celebration Square early to scope out the route. About 10 minutes before the start time, all the runners were lined up at the starting line. Everyone was either stretching or jogging in place to keep warm. Then the gun rang and we all started moving. 

I wasn’t really sure what to expect during the actual race. There was apparently just over 900 people doing the 5K that day, although it was hard to tell from where I was at the starting line. I started the race a bit faster than normal since I was caught up with the group, but I eventually slowed down to a more even pace for the rest of the run. One amusing thing was trying to grab a cup of water from the water station. I don’t usually drink water during my runs since it’s pretty short anyway, but perhaps because of my nerves that morning, I felt a bit parched. It was so awkward trying to grab a cup, drink without spilling, then expertly trying to toss it into the garbage bin while being on the move. =D

Eventually I made it back to the City Centre and passed by the library. Once I rounded the corner it was right to the finish line. My goal was to finish in under 40 minutes. My gun time ended up being 36:53, while my chip time was 36:35, which was my fastest 5K run outdoors! I was mid range in both the overall place and gender place, but out of my division, I was 26 out of 68, so I was pretty happy with the results! 

I was very proud of myself for doing something I thought was impossible for the longest time. Sometimes it’s a good idea to push yourself outside of your comfort zone, cause you never know what you’re able to accomplish unless you try. I don’t think I’ll ever be crazy enough to run a marathon, but running to me has slowly become something I enjoy doing and I hope to be able to continue it in the years to come.