Once Upon a Time... I Paid Money to Run {a 5k}

Once upon a time... I paid money to run. 

I received a text message from my beautiful sister-in-law, Rachel:

"What would you say if I asked you to run a 5k with me ?" she inquired.
"I'd say HECK YES!!!" I replied in two seconds flat.
And those few words sealed my doom.

Okay, okay, it wasn't nearly that dramatic, but about 5 seconds after I replied, I felt uber anxious and unsure of myself. I mean, I hadn't worked out in months. Months. That's how I do the whole workout/fitness thing in adulthood, it seems - I work out for a couple of months, lose a few pounds, tone up, and then my routine trickles away and I don't touch it for 4-8 months. For reals. It's super unhealthy, but I am really great at making lots of excuses, especially during school. The real problem is, though, that I don't have any specific reason to force me to work out in my spare time when I'd rather be reading, thrifting, antiquing, organizing, cleaning, sleeping...... you get the idea.

Rachel solved that problem for me, though.
Except not really.

I believe it was sometime in early September when she sent me that text message, if my memory serves me correctly. The run - the Reindeer Run, to be precise - was scheduled for December 1st or something silly like that. Right after Thanksgiving, right before the week before finals, two weeks before finals, and right before the ruckamuck that is the Holiday Season. We paid our dues and "got ready" for the 5k.

I worked out at the school gym one time before getting really sick for 3 weeks (and I would put money on the fact that I picked up whatever unwelcome germs at that time). I ran outside a total of two or three times maximum before the "run" or "race" or whatever you might like to call it. One of those times, it was outrageously windy and I can remember barely being able to breathe as the wind gusts smacked me in the face over and over again, let alone run in that ridiculousness that is Oklahoma winds.

Rachel came home from the Bahamas (Jonathan came home, too - fancy that!). We all had a lovely Thanksgiving together and ate way too much food. Then we basically jumped right into the 5k together!

The Reindeer Run - 2013

 











I should probably mention a few things:
1. No one should feel required to finish a 5k and put on their makeup within the same morning. We certainly didn't.
2. The runners of the race were encouraged to wear crazy socks. I did. Rachel didn't have any after returning from living in the Bahamas (shocker), so she wore her crazy shoes instead.
3. I should have worn some kind of shorts over my leggings in order to cover my behind a bit better. Alas, hind sight is 20/20. Ahahahahaha! Really, though, I hate wearing baggy clothing while exercising, but innocent bystanders shouldn't be punished for it.
4. We heard obscenities from a very frustrated teenage boy who, apparently, went the wrong direction. It was offensive at the time. It is hysterically funny now.
5. As I type this, I am singing Rachel's "Thing Song" in my head as I remember getting ready for the event. "First youuuuu put the thing on, then you plug the thing in, then you pull the thing through and then..." or something like that - it's like the more annoying and absolutely hilarious version of "The Song That Never Ends!" That one will be stuck with me for days... again.
6. We walked. We ran. We jogged. We walked and ran and jogged some more. We finished! Allelujah.




All in all, it was a wonderful experience that now serves as a fun memory. I'm so glad that my awesome sis-in-love came up with the idea, and I would love to do it all over again with her! Love you, sis! We rock!!

And they all lived happily ever after... once they got some food, of course. ;)

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