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Finishing race all that matters in 5k run

By: Krystle Wagner Posted: 07/05/09 6:33pm

I’m not sure what most people think of when they are at the dentist. As I was sitting in the chair last week, I thought back to last summer when my dad and I were supposed to run a 5K. Our plans were ruined when I had my wisdom teeth taken out a few days before the race.

Since it was about this time last year I had my wisdom teeth removed, I started wondering when the race was. As luck would have it, the race would be happening in two days.

When my dad came home from work that evening, I sprang the news on him — we were going to run the race. Unless, of course, he wasn’t willing.

On race day, I thought about forgetting the whole thing and sleeping in. The 6 a.m. wake-up call came too early after a late night out. As I hit the snooze button, I thought about how disappointed my dad would be and how much I had been looking forward to it. I turned off my alarm and rolled out of bed. It was going to be a long day, but at least I would have accomplished something I always wanted to do.

As we registered for the race, I started getting nervous. I’m not a fast runner and it was going to be my first race. Even though my dad ran in the race several times before, it was his first race in a few years. Neither of us seemed to be too prepared for the 5K that was ahead of us.

My dad has always been a runner, so I felt like I was slowing him down. He didn’t complain when I said I needed to walk. Instead of trying to race against each other, we kept the same pace, crossed all the checkpoints at the same time and finished with the exact time.

It wasn’t easy. After the first half mile, I was beginning to doubt my sanity for wanting to enter. It seemed like every runner in the 5K portion of the race passed us. I felt even worse when the 15K runners passed us like we were standing still.

Two things kept me going when I felt like giving up: my dad staying optimistic and saying that we were doing well and the people standing on the sidewalks cheering us on.

Knowing that we still did a good job, even if we were the last ones, was satisfying enough for me to push through to the end.

As we neared the finish line, I asked my dad if we could we raise our arms (like first place runners sometimes do) as we crossed the finish line. We probably looked goofy, but as they said our race numbers and time over the loudspeaker, I felt amazing. We both ended up finishing last in our age division, but it doesn’t matter.

Bottom line: We entered the race and finished, and although I expected it to take us an hour before we crossed the finish line, it took less than 45 minutes and as of now, we plan on entering it again next summer.

Even though summer is only halfway through, running the 5K with my dad will probably be one of the highlights — which made the 6 a.m. wake-up call more than worth my while.

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Summer of Fitness

State News features writer Krystle Wagner gives you the skinny on her journey through a summer of fitness. Read as she examines all aspects of her strides to become a fitness fanatic.

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Commentary:

Hope

07/05/09 10:48pm

Be proud of yourself and your dad! I love what you said “Two things kept me going when I felt like giving up: my dad staying optimistic and saying that we were doing well and the people standing on the sidewalks cheering us on.” What a positive father you have, it is truely a blessing to you. And to have people cheering you on is also really cool! FUN!! So what if you were last, sometimes last is the best thing we can do for ourselves.

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Marie

07/06/09 2:08am

When are you going to acknowledge and respond to all the comments about fasting?

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Dearm Marie

07/06/09 8:30am

Never. That should be obvious by now.

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What cool people....

07/07/09 10:26am

You and your dad are! There is no other feeling than that of accomplishment. To have your father there right next to you is pretty awesome stuff. Appreciate your father, not everyone is as lucky to have had a father like yours!!! Really neat stuff!

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Great Article

07/08/09 8:14am

Uplifting article, very nice and enjoyable to read. Some motherly advice, get your rest for important events such as this…

“On race day, I thought about forgetting the whole thing and sleeping in. The 6 a.m. wake-up call came too early after a late night out. As I hit the snooze button, I thought about how disappointed my dad would be and how much I had been looking forward to it. I turned off my alarm and rolled out of bed. It was going to be a long day, but at least I would have accomplished something I always wanted to do.”

I am glad you got yourself out of bed and ran the race…afterall your dad is a cool guy to be there for you!

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Agree with Marie

07/08/09 8:22am

I am glad to see articles like this one in the STATENEWS. Rather than articles about fasting in order to make yourself sick, because icecream is the thing to eat when you can’t fast anymore…that kind of story benefits no one. On the other hand this type of story 5K, everyone can benefit, from reading it!

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I wish I had your dad

07/12/09 11:41am

You are one lucky kid, to have a dad like your dad! Keep running and enjoying life!

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