please tell me you guys know heather, kelly, and laura?
they are 3 of my favorite blends, and they came up with a pretty great idea – the blend 5k!
basically, it was designed to be a virtual practice 5k so that the girls could test themselves and their 5k skills. and being the sharing & caring type, they invited others to join in!
i knew i wanted to participate immediately. i didn’t train well enough for my 8k the other weekend. kelly and i rocked it anyway, but i know i won’t be able to pull a half marathon out of nowhere, like that! my training plan doesn’t officially start until memorial day weekend, but it assumes a base running level of being able to run 3 miles 2 or 3 times per week.
so i need to get on that.
i figured this is the perfect opportunity to see what i’m really capable of.
the 5k was supposed to be done on saturday or sunday, but with my crazy weekend, runs just weren’t going to happen. the one day i could have squeezed it in was sunday afternoon. you know, while it was down-pouring and thunderstorming. nothankyou.
so i ran it yesterday afternoon. i think it still counts!
i made the goal for myself to run the whole time.
that’s it.
i didn’t check my pace while i was running. i just went.
i knew i wanted to try to push myself and maybe run a little faster than if i were just going out for a fun, whatever, run.
i mapped out a 3.1 mile route around my neighborhood before i left the house, and then i grabbed my running buddy and got to it.
somehow, everything aligned and it went as well as i could have hoped!
my legs felt great (probably since i hadn’t run in 8 days…), the weather was warm, but not too hot, jake was ready to run so he pushed me a little, i was familiar with the route, and i was excited about the run!
i finished in 31:29, which was an average pace of 10:09.
woah.
i was pretty pooped afterwards. i could feel it in my legs that i had pushed harder than i normally do. i honestly didn’t know i had that in me!
[jake wasn’t tired at all…]
i am so glad i participated in the virtual race – i learned that i need to push myself more on my runs and that i really can do more than i thought! 
thanks to heather, kelly, & laura for the inspiration!
***
after my 5k & dinner, brad was a wonderful husband and went to get us one of these bad boys.
oh yes, that is a reeses peanut butter cup + butterfinger concrete shake from culvers.
and yes, it was freaking delicious.
*****
did you participate in the blend 5k?
when was the last time you pushed yourself to do something you didn’t think you could do?
i have really been trying to step out of my comfort zone lately. after all…
“life is either a daring adventure or nothing. security is mostly a superstition. it does not exist in nature.” –hellen keller
i can’t expect to be great if i don’t push myself for it, can i?!
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