Since I want to incorporate both healthy eating and exercise in this blog, my next post is dedicated to my first 5k which I completed this past weekend. I signed up for Hoboken's "Pump and Run". This entails a bench press competition mixed with a standard 5k run. The bench press challenge was to do as many repetitions as possible without stopping of a given weight. The men's bench press weight was 145lbs and the women's was 65lbs. For every rep, 20 seconds would taken off your 5k run time to get your "overall" time. I had in mind to do a few practice bench presses in the week or two before the competition, but wasn't able to get around to it, though I was able to do a few practice runs both indoors and out. Waiting in line to do the bench press, I saw many young women doing quite a few reps which intimidated me. My boyfriend was there to give me a pep talk and assured me I would do fine! I finally arrived at the bench, palms sweaty, heart racing, and gripped the bar. To my surprise, I was able to complete 10 repetitions. Sure it wasn't the 20 or 30 reps some of the other women did, but for me, at that moment, that was my best and I was happy to have gotten 10 done! We had some time before the run was to begin, so we walked up to the pier and waited in the 50 degree rainy weather. I was anxious to start to the race and growing cold waiting. Finally, around 11:30am we were off! My hands were freezing and I struggled to keep moving scared to fall behind. I passed a few people here and there but told myself to hold off until the final stretch so I could end with a nice long sprint. After passing the halfway mark my confidence was up knowing I was halfway there. Once I saw the finish line in view, I began to pick up the pace. I saw my boyfriend cross the finish line and there I was, 6 seconds behind him with a finishing time of 21:24. This was another shocker to me since when I practiced on my own, I was running the 5k in 25+ minutes. It was really a good day for me because despite my hesitation and nerves, I was able to put up a commendable performance and impress even myself. The best was after the race, a fellow runner came up to me and told me she was trying to pass me up, but I had her beat. I love making progress in all aspects of life and completing my first 5k will be a memorable experience for me. Being out there in the rain, with 130+ other participants, my endorphins were high and the adrenaline was surging throughout my body. I love competition, but at the end of the day you're only competing against yourself. There's no sense in attempting to measure up to anyone or anything other than yourself. You know your limits, set your own goals and strive to achieve them by any means possible. "The race is long, and in the end it's only with yourself."
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