My Redemption
So it was less than 1 year ago when I completed my first 5K, it was 11 weeks after my surgery, and 5 weeks after my first bleeding ulcer which required a 1 week hospital stay and a blood transfusion. The only reason I had signed up to do this race was because a bunch of people in my group at work said they were walking it and I wouldn’t feel too bad walking with other people. Needless to say all of those people backed out the day of the race, but I was determined to complete this with my best effort. For 46.5 minutes I would run a bit and then walk a lot, then run a bit more all the while sipping at my water bottle and sweating like mad. This race will always be memorable to me not only because it was my very first 5K, but because halfway through it I got the pain in my pouch and knew I had another ulcer. I eventually crossed the finish line and had the biggest smile on my face, I had accomplished what at the time seemed impossible and the smile of my wife and 2 boys as I finished made the whole effort worth it. While I was smiling I had a great sense of pride in what I had accomplished but at the same time I was somewhat ashamed of how unfit I had allowed myself to become over my lifetime. This was the day I knew and committed to changing my life.
No longer was my goal about hitting a specific weight but rather about a better lifestyle. A life style I could be proud of.
So we come too yesterday and this year’s running of that 5K. Again people from my team signed up and everyone knew I was signed up, I think I was actually one of the first people to sign up. As many of you know I have logged my time training ran a few hundred miles over the past year and dedicated my life to being more than I was last year. Even with all of that my friends at work would ask “Are you ready for the race" to which I would reply “Yeah it is only 5K", which looking back I never could have imagined me giving a response like this a year ago. Others would ask “What is your goal", people at work know I frequently run races and track my times, needless to say they were surprised when my reply was “Simply to beat my time from last year", they were expecting me to say 30 minutes or some such number.
My whole pre-race routine was thrown off with this being a night race. I have a ritual that I follow before any race whi*****ludes Protein Drink x time before a race, eat my waffle with PB and Banana y minutes before the race. None of this was possible and kind of threw me off on what to do.
So race time approaches my wife and family (which have grown by 1 since last year) show up at my office to watch me do this race. We walked around and talked about how different things have been since this time last year. As race time approaches I kiss my wife and tell my boys I’ll see them in a bit and go stretch out.
As I line up in the starting chute I don’t feel as out of place this year as I did last year. The race starts and I start my watch as I cross the start line. I manage to quickly find my groove and settle into a pace running side by side with a friend who beat me last year, running with him lasted maybe 5 minutes and then he fell behind. I hit the 1 mile mark in a little over 9 minutes and remember back to last year when they called out 14 minutes when I hit this point. I continue to push myself and run harder on the downhill sections. The last mile I am running with a lady and she leads me a bit then I overtake her for a bit. The last half mile I say to myself your goal is to cross the finish line before her. At about .25 miles from the finish is one of the last turns she goes inside and I take the outside of the turn and push everything I have. I kept this pace for the rest of the race passing about 8 other people, I felt like my heart was going to explode out my chest as I approached the finish line and pushed it to everything I had left.
I cross the finish line and look down and see my time at 28:55 and I just smile at having not only beaten my goal but doing so by about 18 minutes, I had redeemed myself . I year ago I never dreamed I could have done something like this, so don’t doubt what you are capable of doing today because tomorrow you will be able to do so much more.
No longer was my goal about hitting a specific weight but rather about a better lifestyle. A life style I could be proud of.
So we come too yesterday and this year’s running of that 5K. Again people from my team signed up and everyone knew I was signed up, I think I was actually one of the first people to sign up. As many of you know I have logged my time training ran a few hundred miles over the past year and dedicated my life to being more than I was last year. Even with all of that my friends at work would ask “Are you ready for the race" to which I would reply “Yeah it is only 5K", which looking back I never could have imagined me giving a response like this a year ago. Others would ask “What is your goal", people at work know I frequently run races and track my times, needless to say they were surprised when my reply was “Simply to beat my time from last year", they were expecting me to say 30 minutes or some such number.
My whole pre-race routine was thrown off with this being a night race. I have a ritual that I follow before any race whi*****ludes Protein Drink x time before a race, eat my waffle with PB and Banana y minutes before the race. None of this was possible and kind of threw me off on what to do.
So race time approaches my wife and family (which have grown by 1 since last year) show up at my office to watch me do this race. We walked around and talked about how different things have been since this time last year. As race time approaches I kiss my wife and tell my boys I’ll see them in a bit and go stretch out.
As I line up in the starting chute I don’t feel as out of place this year as I did last year. The race starts and I start my watch as I cross the start line. I manage to quickly find my groove and settle into a pace running side by side with a friend who beat me last year, running with him lasted maybe 5 minutes and then he fell behind. I hit the 1 mile mark in a little over 9 minutes and remember back to last year when they called out 14 minutes when I hit this point. I continue to push myself and run harder on the downhill sections. The last mile I am running with a lady and she leads me a bit then I overtake her for a bit. The last half mile I say to myself your goal is to cross the finish line before her. At about .25 miles from the finish is one of the last turns she goes inside and I take the outside of the turn and push everything I have. I kept this pace for the rest of the race passing about 8 other people, I felt like my heart was going to explode out my chest as I approached the finish line and pushed it to everything I had left.
I cross the finish line and look down and see my time at 28:55 and I just smile at having not only beaten my goal but doing so by about 18 minutes, I had redeemed myself . I year ago I never dreamed I could have done something like this, so don’t doubt what you are capable of doing today because tomorrow you will be able to do so much more.
Paul C.
First 5K 9/27/20 46:32 - 11 weeks post op (PR 28:55 8/15/11)
First 10K 7/04/2011 1:03 First 15K 9/18/2011 1:37
First Half Marathon 10/02/2011 2:27:44 (PR 2:24:35)
First Half Ironman 9/30/12 7:32:04
First 5K 9/27/20 46:32 - 11 weeks post op (PR 28:55 8/15/11)
First 10K 7/04/2011 1:03 First 15K 9/18/2011 1:37
First Half Marathon 10/02/2011 2:27:44 (PR 2:24:35)
First Half Ironman 9/30/12 7:32:04
Mazel Tov Paul! You've had quite the year and have made the most of your surgery. Congratulations on figuring out what was most important and working towards that!
Jan
Jan
Bay to Breakers 12K May 15, 2011 (1:54:40) First 5K 5/23/11 (41:22)
Half Marathons: Napa: 7/18/10 (4:11:21) 7/17/11 (3:30:58) 7/15/12 (3:13:11.5)
SJ Rock and Roll: 10/2/10 (3:58:22) Run Surf City: 2/6/11 (3:19:54)
Diva: 5/6/12 (3:35:00)
HW/SW/CW 349/326/176
"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." - Albert Einstein
Half Marathons: Napa: 7/18/10 (4:11:21) 7/17/11 (3:30:58) 7/15/12 (3:13:11.5)
SJ Rock and Roll: 10/2/10 (3:58:22) Run Surf City: 2/6/11 (3:19:54)
Diva: 5/6/12 (3:35:00)
HW/SW/CW 349/326/176
"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." - Albert Einstein
Awsome story Paul, thanks so much for sharing! I feel the same way in a sense. Getting in this to loose weight and get healthy but I find excercise, running etc is now my vice and lifestyle and love that this surgery has helped light that fire that I so desperatly needed.
I did my first 5k a month ago, or so I thought. I was super excited about my time 35:12 and so was everyone with their times. Then at the end of the race we were all told the 5k was accidently cut short to 2.6 so we got shorted a 1/2. I am still stoked I even finished the thing but am doing my next 5k in two weeks and plan to meet or beat that 2.6 time with the 3.1. So we will see. Thanks for being such an inspiration; running even after the ailements you had. You rock!
I did my first 5k a month ago, or so I thought. I was super excited about my time 35:12 and so was everyone with their times. Then at the end of the race we were all told the 5k was accidently cut short to 2.6 so we got shorted a 1/2. I am still stoked I even finished the thing but am doing my next 5k in two weeks and plan to meet or beat that 2.6 time with the 3.1. So we will see. Thanks for being such an inspiration; running even after the ailements you had. You rock!
***ADRIENNE**
Most Active
Recent Topics