My first 5K trail run

Yesterday I ran a 5K trail run at CW Post. You can tell by the subject line that it was my first and a big deal for a variety of reasons. I never was a runner as a kid. I always had pain in my knees and then became a smoker when I was 13 (I quit 8 years later). Then at 21, I herniated a disc in my back while I was putting down a basket of laundry - an event that preceded 3 years of seeing every doctor, healer, and back pain specialist in the New York area. I was in pain every day, couldn't stand for very long without needing to sit down, and sitting wasn't pain-free either. Running was out of the question. A very wise chiropractor (Cerina Gervasi) told me I should try yoga, so I did... and later became a yoga teacher because I virtually became pain free. I still have occasional minor back pain but it's nothing like what I had before I started yoga. So, the fact that I did a 5K yesterday is a great thing. I have dreams of running a marathon one day and realize that if I do, it will be a huge achievement. I'm starting small with the 5Ks.

I particularly liked the trail run, because I enjoy the woods - the smells and the scenery - and the dirt! It was pretty muddy. Love it! There were some rolling hills which were pretty tiring. I liked the random people set up along the trail that would say, "down hill is coming up! You can do it!" There was more up than down. The trails were cleared nicely which I appreciated. I was passed by several much older men. I passed a woman who was walking early on in the race, but she passed me in the last 20 feet of the race! I did stop to walk for 20 seconds at some point. I was feeling exhausted. That could be because Jeff took me on a 4 hour hike the previous day! There was an additional point that I stopped off to the side for a second and a guy was behind me. I started clapping and he was like, "come on - stay with me." I did for a while, but I slowed and he kept on. That was nice of him to encourage me. I kept running the rest of the race, exhausted, but happy to finish.

I also tried not eating before the race and I'm not sure that was a good idea. I didn't have much to eat til later in the day and last night, I had some serious stomach cramps. I'm feeling a little better this morning. Really glad to have done this and looking forward to many more!