Get Active in Your Community (and don't pass out)

So tonight I ran my first 5k! I never thought it would be my bag and I still don’t think it is but I’m glad I did it and I may do it again. So I guess it’s my minibag, a satchel per say.

Some Background:

So you guys know I’m getting married in 6 months.  Haven’t been so successful in losing the “new job 20”.  Kitzzy & Jason my awesome coworkers at Online@UCF/CDL/UCF (where I work) decided to put together a group for the Orlando Corporate 5k, the biggest sporting event in Orlando with 12k people!  Really its a stroke of genius because coworkers feel the pressure to bond/participate, its short enough to walk, office workers always need exercise and this is a gateway activity.  So CDL set up a team and a blog and though my knee and extra bone in my foot makes it hard to run I felt this was a perfect opportunity to jump start my routine.
Online@UCF Learning to Live Well

Didn’t work that well.  But I tried.  Allergies/sickness and lethargy kept me to only training 2-3 weeks for it.  But the beauty is, with a 5k you can always walk!

Why I’d Do It Again

Not sure I’d TRAIN heavily for a 5k again (due to knee/footness I’m sticking to biking) but I’d do one again.  Especially if I move to a new city.  Because:

  • You get to see the city. Roads blocked off, bands playing (mariachi!), running in mass, its a pretty awesome sight.
  • You get to meet people. Like 12k of them… all in mass.  Running.  Humanity running, often in funny outfits.
  • Entertaining t-shirts: Everything on them from godzilla killing a city to threats of being superior to commands to “eat your dust” to ascertains of their physical prowess over you.  Okay, really there are just a lot of threatening t-shirts.  In fact, I think our team was one of the few positive ones, with affirmations blaring on the back.
  • Feel accomplished: Run as much as possible, walk, then jog, do whatever.  No matter what by the end you feel pretty good!
  • Community outreach: Not only can you reach over and touch your brother but many of these events are charities.  And charity is good, as well as, brotherly love.
  • Pack Mentality… I mean Spirit! It’s just a good bonding experience where people are taken out of their element and must rely on each other for support. Not that I talked much, what with concentrating on breathing, but it was nice to have them there (nicer than I expected as I liked training in quiet). I’m not sure I’d want to do it without seeing the happy affirmations on the backs of my team member’s shirts… as I pass them… like Godzilla. ;p  At least, you’ll know who you can outrun in the office, for when the zombies attack.

So I guess what I’m saying is, not sure I’d do more then a 5k but its a fun occasional community activity that should not be intimidating!

How’d I do?

Why thanks for asking.  Did it in 36-37 minutes (not good at this number thing).  I jogged/ran the whole way except for one minute.  Pretty proud I must say. Austin pushed over some grandmas to make his time of 25.5 minutes.  You see it is a race to him.

Possible pictures to possibly come.

run sheila run – S