You know it’s your first 5K, if…

6/23/08 Posted in Sherri Powers  |  3 Comments

Saturday I ran my first full 5K race. I did it without being a quarter of the way through my training plan for a 5K. I wanted to see just how far I’ve come (and find out how far I have to go!)

Driving to the Ronald’s Run for the House 5K, I was nervous, to say the least. When I got to Delta Dental’s headquarters in Okemos, I didn’t even know how to sign in for an offical 5K or even what the course was going to be like. Thank goodness the event was so organized or I might have been lost. As I signed in I received a goody-bag with directions and perks for running the race.

I was also given an official running number—1264 to be exact. Attached to the number that I safety pinned to my shirt was an envelope that I didn’t open. Which as you’ll find out soon, was a mistake on my part. Instead of reading the envelope that clearly says ‘Please Read’ now that I look at it more carefully, I put it in my car with my goody-bag and began stretching out.

I was getting more nervous by the second.

But soon I was lined up with the other 200 runners, then before I knew it, I was off! You knew right from the get-go who was in it to win it, who was their for a nice moderate pace run (me), and who was their to just walk the distance to support the cause. I was doing great in the beginning. When I got to the first mile marker I grabbed a cup of water and walked a about a minute with my water before I started up running again.

About the cup of water though. Even though everyone was grabbing a cup, drinking from it and then chucking it to the side of the road, I felt like I shouldn’t be throwing Dixie Cups down on the pavement. I knew the volunteers were going to pick them up but there was a huge pile of them already by the time I got to the station. I’m sure I’ll get rid of the feeling that I’m doing something wrong and littering by the end of my training.

I couldn’t figure out what to do with it, so put my guilt away and threw the cup down anyway, and was on to my second mile. During this mile I was on to my run, walk, repeat pattern, which I kept doing until about the last quarter mile of the race. I had decided that it was important for me to finish strong before I got there.

Getting closer to the finish line, which was also the line I started from, in the Delta Dental parking lot, it got easier to run due to the crowds of people cheering me on. Granted they didn’t even know my name, but they reassured me to keep going because I was almost there anyways.

I glanced at the clock as I finished the race: 40 minutes and 45 seconds. Not bad, or at least I didn’t think so, for my first 5K and having just picked up running a few weeks prior.

As I was basking in the glory of finishing my first 5K came my chip dilemma. After I was handed a bottle of water and walked out of the finish line area, volunteers started asking me for my chip. My what? Apparently that little envelope I got while registering, that was attached to my number was important.

Again I was being told, “We are gunna need your chip back.” Feeling completely out of the loop, and not really having another choice, I had to ask what she was talking about. The volunteer told me that it the envelope we were given contained a small black chip that when fastened to a runners shoe would record our time for us, when crossing the finish line. She also informed be that if I didn’t return it, I would be charged.

I walked right to my car to get the chip and threw it in the bucket that was filed with the others. So if you’re thinking about running your first race of any distance, learn from my mistake. When they give you an envelope at registration containing a little black chip, be sure to put it on your shoe and don’t forget to return it.

When it was all said and done, I’m proud of myself for finishing a 5K. A month ago finishing a 5K race wasn’t even on my mind. Plus now I have a time to beat, to track my improvement. With continued training, I can only improve my time of 40:45.

So let it be known that you know it’s your first 5K race if your not sure how to register, you feel like your littering when you pass though a drink station and you have no idea what a chip is until the race is over.