About 12 weeks ago, I saw an ad to run over the Newport Bridge. Wow! I thought. I would love to do that. Having never run before, I did not know where to start, but lucky me, I have surrounded myself with girlfriends who are all runners. I discovered the Couch to 5k program and read it over. I read ahead to week five and panicked when I saw I would need to run for 20 minutes. OK, calm down and just do week one day one tomorrow. So I did. I had to run 1 minute 8 different times in 20 minutes and I found it hard. Should I give up now? NO!
Skip ahead to week 4 and I am hooked. I am loving this running thing. So I look at the Facebook page of the Newport Bridge run. I sent them a message asking if they thought this would be a good first run for a beginner. They replied, "Hi Nicole! We are seeing runners of all skill levels registering for this unique event. We suggest that you may want to participate in at least one 5K prior to this race as running with 3,000 people is much different than going for a training run!" So I signed up for the Amica 5K.
Meanwhile I continue training and each week gets better. I find most of my support from my girlfriends especially Barbara, from Ohio. She encourages me everyday and then she signed up for the Bridge race because she wants to run with me. OMG. This is real now, can I run 4 miles and part of it up hill? I mean have you seen that hill?!
So I did what any good friend would do and I registered. Yeah! It is official. (breathing hard).
I discovered a few things about myself while running. I was alone. I heard my own thoughts and not the demands of a 5 and 3 year old. I was doing something good for myself. And really, that it was good for my family. It started to become Mommy time and it felf great. It showed as soon as I would come in from a run. I can do anything and my family benefitted from that. I want my children to see that they can do anything they want to even if they think the can't. I want to demonstrate a healthy lifestyle and hope that it carries with them when they have families of their own. I want my husband to know that I do this for him too so we can live a long and happy life together in the most beautiful place in this country. I do it for my girlfriends because running with them is extra girl time, and that I really love. And of course, for me. It makes me happy because I can think for 4 miles and solve some of the worlds problems and plan dinner.
So now it is time for the Amica 5k. It was fun to see all the runners and the excitment that they brought to the race. I was with some of my best girlfriends who ran with me the entire time and I finished. I ran the whole thing in 35:35. I felt on top of the world. I know I can rock that bridge!
I can not wait to see Barb when she flies in to Rhode Island from Ohio. But I can't wait to wake up at four in the morning on a cold November day to run with her across one of the prettiest views in our beautiful state.
So, maybe, I am a runner. I am a wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend and I run for all those reasons.
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