Grissom Army JROTC Wounded Warrior 5k

Running races is a weird thing to be impulsive about but that is totally how I am lately. I used to plan for these races months in advance. But now that I'm jogging on a pretty consistent basis when I heard about the Grissom Army JROTC Wounded Warrior 5k this weekend, I was just like why not?

So that is how I ended getting up before 6 o'clock this morning (on a Saturday!!). I was so nervous the night before and I don't really know why. It's not like this race was my first rodeo, and I have finished a 10k for goodness sake! But I was wiggin out as usual because I can never accomplish such tasks without a great deal of anxiety fanfare!

This race was for a very good cause (wounded soldiers of the armed forces) and sponsored by the JROTC. Something that excited me because I was in the Army ROTC in High School. And when the color guard posted the colors, I couldn't help but smile because I myself was the color guard commander. But then I thought how funny it all was because I hated running the mile in ROTC, and now I'm showing up to do 5ks voluntarily! Oh, how things have changed.

The race had over 600 people, and also had a lot of other patriotic elements including the singing of the star spangled banner and a ARMY helicopter landing! And when the race started, they fired off two cannons!

My only goal for this race was to be able to run a chunk of it, for whatever reason I have struggled to transfer my 5k training to the races. Maybe it's nerves or just not warming up properly before races, but it just doesn't come as easy for me as my training jogs. But during the race I was able to run ten minutes and walk the rest, coming in right at an hour! And this time I didn't finish last, so I count that as progress. Now at my next race I'll just aim to run a little longer!

I love the energy of race days and the people along the route cheering you on. I love the high I get after finishing. But let's not mention how awful of a cheerleader Adam is because he was was posted at the wrong place looking for me, and no where in sight when I crossed the finish line. But I can forgive him for this transgression, I suppose.

After the race, we had celebration banana caramel pancakes at IHOP, and I took a celebration nap with my mom's dog, Carlee, as pictured below. Yes, Adam was there to snap a picture of me napping this afternoon but not crossing the finish line at the race *shakes head*. But looking at this picture I have to ask myself, why am I such an angry sleeper anyway?

Race days make all the other days when I'm out training, although I would rather be sitting on the couch, and all those times I'm just putting one foot after the other, fighting through the leg pain to finish my jogging interval, so worth it.

Now I'm am ready for the Color Me Rad run in March!