Running for 36 minutes not a problem as 5k draws closer

I did it. 36 minutes. No stopping. No problem. Nine days until I officially run my first 5k and I really feel like I'm going to make it.

Officially, I ran 2.2 miles last night in the bitter cold. I knew I was running slow but I really thought I would have run a little more than I actually did. But, as I've stated many times, the goal is not to win the race or have a great time, it is to finish the race without walking.

As I started walking to warm up, it was really cold. Yep, it was 34 degrees and even a little breezy. That wasn't really ideal conditions.

I walked for four minutes and reset my clocks for running. And I took off down the first hill. My legs were in a bit of pain from the stair running we did the day before. But I was making it OK. I just kept telling myself, "Go Slow." And I did.

I've typically done most of my running either downhill or on mostly flat ground. But I'm told the Spa 5k has a bit of a climb. So I incorporated some hills in the run. The first uphill run felt like I was walking I was going so slow. The first 10 minutes was really a breeze. The second 10 minutes didn't feel great but I was OK. Actually around the 18th minute I was hurting and freezing. I really wasn't sure how much more I could do.

Then came the boom. Well, there wasn't a real boom. It was more like a mental boom. At about 19 minutes, I got a shot of adrenaline and I felt like I could run and run and run. Up a pretty good hill I went and down a pretty major street. I was cruising. It didn't last. But as I've found out, running goes in waves. You feel good for a bit, then bad for a bit, then good for a bit.

I went up and down a couple of hills and then decided to change up my route. I was going to have to go up a pretty major hill. I was slow going up, but I made it. The reward was that the next 5 minutes were all downhill. I cruised through that.

I totally missed the 30 minute notification but was really proud when I heard 32 minutes. That's the farthest I've ever run. Back up another hill as the 34th minute clicked off and I started jogging toward the car. I probably should have kept going when I hit 36 minutes, but I was tired and satisfied. I walked the rest of the way to the car to cool down.

I'm going to attempt to run a 5k for practice on Sunday, just to give me an idea that I can do it and what my approximate time might be.

I'm still shocked and amazed at how far I've come. I remember starting Couch25K and strugging to run for 1 minute, then 90 seconds and then 3 minutes. Now 3 minutes isn't even a concern.