First of all, i would just like to say, if you ask last fall if i was interested in doing i a 5k, i would have said you are crazy and out of your mind. In fact, i had to ask a couple of friends who i work with to find out how many miles 5k is because i had no idea. They told me it was just over three miles and told me i should do it So, i started to toy with the idea of just walking 5k. There was no way i could run 5k, let alone just one mile! Had a hard enough time running the one mile in college, and that was ten years ago.

So, last summer started to walk just to get back in the habit of walking after i moved into my new house. i also knew that Nike had a little sensor that you could place in your special NIke+ shoe and your iPod could calculate distance, speed, etc. Seeing that i already had a couple of pairs of Nike+ shoes and an iPod, i went out and bought the sensor. One thing i did not know was that the iPod had to be a second generation or later for the sensor to work. So, i went on ebay and bought me a second generation iPod for a decent price because i did not want to buy a brand new one. Then i sold my other one to a friend’s mom who was always borrowing thier iPod when she went walking.

So, started to walk down to a nearby park, around, and then back home. Come to find out, it was close to the 5k mark. So, i slightly modified my route to get at least 5k.

This spring i added a second route that took me around town, because there is no street lights in the park, and sometimes i would walk after 8pm. So, i started to walk this second route when it was too dark to walk, and that route ended up to be around 4miles.

The time came that registration forms for the Bridge the Gap to Health race was out, and bit the bullet and signed up. When i signed up, i just thought you could either run or walk. i had no clue there was a competitive walk division and a leisure walk division. Being it was my first one, and seeing how some of those power walkers are, i decided to just do the leisure walk for now! So, i sent in my registration and money, and realized i am now commited. What have i done? 🙂 🙂 🙂

I continued to walk my routes and determined that i could do 5k in 45 minutes, however i could never get close to the 45 mark, it was always around the 50-min mark, so i told myself try for 45 but be happy for 50 minute walk. I would have never guessed i would have done my first 5k walk. But this morning in the cold wet rainy, and a little windy weather, i took part of the Bridge the Gap to Health race. Started out at 8:45, 30 minutes later than everyone else. it was awesome to see all those runners\walkers walking across the old bridge and then back on the new bridge. Traffic had to be stopped for the runners on the bridges, but those of us who did the leisure walk, had to walk with one lane traffic. That was interesting.

As i was walking on the bridges, there was volunteers along the route and i could tell they didn’t want to be in the cold wet rainy weather. For me, it wasn’t too bad because i kept walking. i should have left my glasses at home, because my the time i got done, i really couldn’t see out my glasses. What was also cool was each runner\walker received a medal and Jackie Joyner Kersee was there to hand them out.

According to my Nike ipod app, here’s my results:

Distance: 5.55k (i think they had the route marked wrong or the route is actually 5.5 and not 5)
Time 53:26 (so if i would have stopped it at 5k, it would have been close to my goal of 45)
Pace: 15’29” per mile
Calories: 479

I am happy with those results. My last walk i did was on 5/12 and did 5.03k and it took me 56:09 with a pace of 17’56”. I did a walk on 4/29 and did 5.6k and it took me 57:10 with a pace of 16’24”. My first 5k walk with the app, i did on 8/17/10 and it took me 57:34 with a pace of 18’09”.

So, even with the monster hill at the very beginning that we had to go up, i did better than my previous ones that was shorter in distance, and so far the pace is my personal best so far!

Will i do it again next year – we will see. will i continue to walk 5k this summer a few times a week – i will most definitely try!

Reminds me of a verse that i would like to close with:

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (New International Version)

The Need for Self-Discipline
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.