Jaywalk 5k 2013

This past Saturday Josh and I woke up bright and early for the Jaywalk 5k at Creighton. Proceeds went to the Jesuit Academy that Creighton is affiliated with. Since Josh and I didn’t participate in the Corporate Cup 10k because of the weather we were really excited for this 5k. We wanted to run!

I’ve found that carbs + a nut butter + an easy to digest sugar sits really well in my stomach before a race. Josh can’t eat much before a run or he’ll feel sick. My stomach has never bothered me and I find the energy boost from the food really helps. For this pre-race meal I did Ezekiel bread with peanut butter and grapes. I learned about using grapes on toast from a sample day at Whole Foods and am kind of addicted now.

We picked up our race bibs and waited for the race to start. This was a small race in terms of organizing. There were no official times or crowd support like at some other races but the turnout was awesome. There was over 500 runners and walkers! The course was hilly but beautiful. The weather was perfect. It was great getting to explore Creighton’s campus by foot on such a gorgeous day. Josh and I started the race together, and when he stopped to take his inhaler I jogged in place. (He later ended up finishing minutes ahead of me, he’s pretty speedy.) A woman tapped me on the shoulder and told me that I couldn’t stop running because I was her pacer. If I stopped she stopped. This had an incredible effect on me. It made me feel like I was running the race not only for myself but for her. After that, I didn’t let myself walk. I felt like I had to keep running or her race wouldn’t be as good as it should be. I am not  a fast runner by any stretch of the imagination so I never imagined I could ever have that sort of effect on someone. My goal when I run is just to enjoy myself and finish the race. This really illustrated how we’re all running our own personal races and that running is about so much more than a time.

I will never forget turning the bend to the finish line and seeing Josh at the top of the hill waiting for me. (Yep, they made us finish up a hill. So much for Omaha being flat.) Running into his arms at the end was the perfect way to finish the race. I love that we support each other on our fitness journeys and just in life in general. I couldn’t ask for a better partner. After the race Creighton hosted a pancake feed for the runners and walkers. I ate a lot of pancakes as I hoped to have my raffle number called for some of the awesome sponsor prizes. We didn’t win any of the raffles but we totally won that day. It was such an amazing race.

Question of the Day: What’s the last race you ran? What is your goal when you run a race?