Victory!

This morning, I ran my first 5K race. I'm 12 weeks pregnant and sick as can be, yet I still ran. I'm not fast, as I've said before, but I ran every step of the race. I didn't walk at all, though it was tempting. The first half mile went uphill and a lot of the other runners stopped to walk it. I kept running. It was hard. The next stretch was downhill, and I passed a few spectators I knew.

There were lots of people along the route, waiting for BYU's Homecoming Parade. If I'd thought about it in advance, I would have thought, "eh, I'm not sure I'd want people to watch me run." But I didn't think much about it, and while I was running, I found it so fun to run by crowds and hear them cheer us on. There were a couple of people that picked up my number and cheered just for me -- "Go 30!" they'd say, and I'd grin, "Yeah! Me and this baby!" If I run it next year, I'm going to get me a big shirt that reads, "Mother of 8." A little shameless self-promotion isn't all bad, is it?

There was a gal who ran near me that stopped to walk several times. She kept passing me when she started running again, then I'd pass her when she stopped to walk. The first time I passed her, I told her she was doing great. Then when she passed me, I said, "See? You're doing awesome!" Her pace was pretty much the same as mine, but as you know, I don't claim to be fast. Just consistent. The fact that I'm still running, even though I spend much of the last six weeks either throwing up or feeling like it, is a major accomplishment.

Evidently, I was fast enough that I beat my family, who showed up at the Brick Oven to cheer me on, only to miss seeing me.

I finally finished. My run-walk friend caught up to me as we headed around the track for the last little bit. "Hey," I teased, "You're not allowed to pass me!" "I won't," she assured me, "you've helped me a lot." I did tell her I was joking and she was welcome to run ahead. As we rounded the last corner of the track, I pulled together all the energy I had, and I sprinted the last 100 meters. That felt good.

My time? 37:31.4 Like I said, I'm not fast. According to my race ticket, I came in 20th in my age bracket and my pace was 12:04 min/mi. Not so shabby for a pregnant 31-year-old who before this summer had never run a mile straight.

Comments

dedesmith32 said…
You're amazing Christina - be proud of yourself - it's really a wonderful victory - congratulations!
Congratulations! Did you start by running up around the temple? If you did, that is HARD! I've done it before. I think anytime you conquer something that was hard for you before, it's a victory. I don't care how fast I am, I'm just proud that I can get up and run. And just so you know, I've been running for ten years, and my 5k time is about the same as yours. And I've only had 3 kids. I think you're awesome!
way to go! That's awesome!
Jacki said…
Yea! Congratulations!!
Dina said…
Good for you! I'm not a runner, so that is a BIG accomplishment in my book!
Woot!!! I am so impressed!
Tiffany Wacaser said…
Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Kim said…
And yet again, you're my hero! Way to go!
3in3mom said…
awesome job! What a great accomplisment!
harmonie said…
WOW! Congrats! What an exciting accomplishment. And I'm impressed you didn't stop training because of "morning sickness". What an exciting goal to accomplish.
Jordan said…
Good for you Christina! Especially being pregnant! What an accomplishment and congratulations on your pregnancy. What a blessing and gift!
Congratulations!! Good for you!! That really is impressive.
Angie said…
Yeah!! Great job. you're on your way now! Provo Rive 1/2 2010 here you come!
alligood said…
I am impressed, Christina! Good job, Mama!!
Wendy said…
YOU GO MAMA!!! To think you did that while 12 weeks prego too, wow, my hat is off to you!! Way to go. Too bad your family couldn't be there to watch you. Congrats on the first 5K!! Now, I need to do one.
KMDuff said…
Congratulations! Very awesome! :D
Awesome, Christina, just awesome!!! I like running, but NOT pregnant. Dana (sis-in-law) just did a mini-triathalon being about 15 weeks pregnant...I seriously can barely walk from the car to the church sometimes (hint, hint)!
Trish said…
Go you!!!! I'm so proud of you for going for it when you have plenty of good excuses not to.
Dan and Marci said…
I totally forgot to ask how it went yesterday---way to go--sounds like you did great. What a great accomplishment!
: ) Paula said…
Wandered over from Segullah. (I should be sleeping right now but I'm blogging--busted!) Cute family, cute kiddos, and congrats on both the 5K run and the bun in the oven! Are you hoping for a boy?
Congratulations!!
First off, I can't believe you had time to get ready for a marathon. Second I can't believe you ran while pregnant. I'm too tired, sick, lazy to do that. Third I can't believe you are going to have another child and pass me up. I am happy for you. We had a family in our last ward with eight children and she was always saying "Eight is Great!"
Be glad that you don't have any teenagers yet. That is the main thing I have found. Teenagers and Babies don't mix. The teenagers stay out and up late. The babies wake up to eat. This makes for very exhausted parents.
Congratulations!! Wow, I would be lucky to be able to walk that far! And congratuations on expecting #8, too! I read what you wrote about being lonely. I know exactly what you mean. I do have some family with large families, and friends. But their kids are growing up, and I still have small ones. My sister had seven and used to go on adventures with me, and now her youngest is 16. My s-in-law has 12, but she is usually too busy driving people places to do anything fun. And we don't get invited too many places either. There are large families in our church, but not as large as mine, and not with young ones anymore. I also know what you mean about the excitement of expecting a new baby.. for me each one was even more thrilling than the one before, but people's reactions were like, ho-hum, another one. I wish we lived closer to each other!!! Hang in there!
Jenna said…
Congratulations! I love reading your blog! It's refreshing to find women who still find the beauty and nobility of womanhood and motherhood. I'll bet you taught many great life lessons by example to your children through the process of training for the race. I know how pregnancy sickness can be debilitating, so I am in awe!
Weston said…
I've been meaning to ask you how it went. Good for you. especially in the cold. I hate running on cold mornings. Keep up the good work.