5k post injury is a success!

Not near as sore as I thought I would be today which is a good thing since I'm doing a 24 hour ambulance shift.

I will admit I was super nervous yesterday leading up to the race. I was excited as all 5 of the other members on our team had never done a race ever. Was fun to experience it with them. I tried to keep them excited all day and wanted them to have a fun time. 

We arrived at the race location about an hour and half early. And it was way out in the sticks on a beautiful farm. They didn't have a huge turn out but way better than I expected.

We had our hot pink shirts on and we definafly stood out!!

We even had our names on the backs 

The race started right on time. However about tenth of a mile in I realized I had forgot to start my garmin... We started out on a gravel driveway and then on a gravel road and before half mile we had done several large hills. My ankle was angry and my legs were yelling at me but I kept pushing. Not long we turned in to a path that winded thru the fields it had been cut with brush hog and was not easy walking. 

I was nervous stepping carefully afraid I would twist my ankle. Not the best race to do for my first one back but I made the best of it enjoyed the company of my husband and the rest of our team. Also enjoyed the scenery 

Mile 1.5 I was in the back of our team. I am slightly competitive and didn't want the two team mates ahead of me to bear me to finish line. I was upset at how slow I was and while I know it's only been 9 weeks since a bad injury I was still beating myself up. 

Around mile 2 we had a huge straight up hill and I would have took picture but if I would have stopped I wouldn't have kept going. It's there when my husband and I passed another couple on our team. I felt bad but made sure we kept them in sight and that they stayed together. 

We could see the finish line but had to wind thru yet another field and around a steep pond bank that was awful on my feet walking so uneven. But I knew we were close and I was ready to be done. I honestly don't know how people ran that course I think I would have walked most regardless.  

We crossed the finish line and I was happy and we weren't the last ones either there were 3 more groups behind us. 

It was super HOT and humid and was soaked from sweat! Not long after we crossed the last two from our team came up the hill. Was fun seeing them finish and the look on their face that they had just accomplished something for the first time. And my husband said he would do another 5k and so did the other couple that we were with. 

My friends uncle finished his first 5k walking wearing jeans and work boots in 43 minutes and he is over 55!!! 

I was super proud of our team and glad try had fun overcame hills heat and want to do it again. 

I honestly couldn't think of a better group of friends to have been with on my first race back and to have it be their first ever race. I have some pretty great friends and so glad they are interested in what I've been doing with races and trying them.