When I was 12, I was in a car accident. I broke my hip and was in a body cast for almost 4 months. When I recovered, it took an extra 4 months of physical therapy and even taking a special Charm class to learn to walk without a limp. Once in awhile, when the weather changes, it would hurt so much that limping is e only way to get me across a room.
My mother, being very overprotective, never allowed me to do anything strenuous that might hurt my hip. That included running. I was lucky because in high school, you could opt out of physical education by taking dance class. I took that class after one semester of phys.ed that always had me wheezing for air and vomiting after a work out. If anything, high school physical education turned me off from sports and physical activity. I hated working out with a passion.
But as I grew older, my metabolism started to wane. I knew I needed to start working out. I did a few dance classes that then led to TaeBo and finally Jillian Michaels. I love the Brazilian Capoeira that she includes in her workout. But even working out at home wasn’t enough. I found that when I go on long walks with my dog, sometimes, sprinting, I lose weight better.
So when my friend mentioned this Couch to 5k app, I thought I could give it a try. I started this program last summer but I couldn’t finish it. I just couldn’t run! I thought maybe I’m just not made for running.
I decided to give it another shot and started over again in the spring. People made fun of me because it took me 15 minutes to run 1 mile. My boyfriend is more encouraging and always tells me, “a mile is still a mile. Don’t let other people make you feel bad because you’re at least trying.”
So I stuck with my routine and he signed us up for a fun looking 5k that happened to be near home. I wasn’t always strict on myself when running. I would repeat days and sometimes week. But once July hit, I thought, oh shit, only 4 weeks until the 5k! Somehow maybe knowing that made me complete the app a day before the event!
The run we signed up for was Living Social 5k Dance Party. It was at Citifield starting at sundown. It was very much all for the taking. You just grab a bag, your number has no meaning, and you lounge around, buying souvenirs and Cracker Jack, which of course, I’m allergic to so I ran without food.
As it was our first 5k together, we were in the first corral waiting anxiously. It was very disorganized as anyone could come line up and everyone just hopped and danced around to poorly DJ’ed songs. There were over 9000 runners though 10,000 people had signed up. When the announcer asked how many were at their first 5k, over half raised their hand. This was not a good sign.
People were dolled up, make up, earrings, dresses, I thought, do you really think you’ll look that way for the after party?
The race began. Living Social did their best putting speakers along the sidewalk and throughout the parking lot of Citifield. They put up balloons and light tunnels randomly. The worst part about the race were the photographers, the people on cellphone in the middle of the race, the walker who didn’t know where to go, and the cheaters, those who cut the path. It was poorly lit and as I have a hard time with night, I started getting disoriented. One point, my inhaler fell, and a stampede of crazy women came running over me as I picked it up.
It felt like high school when the bell rang and everyone is pouring out, pushing and shoving people. Halfway, I was so angry with people pushing me that I was ready to punch the next person who did that, and sure enough, as we were edging towards the finishing goal, these two girls zig zagged and nearly clipped me. If I weren’t beaten up by the 5k, I would have gone after them.
Needless to say, I was very upset with the 5k, it left a very sour taste. I will never attend these functions by Living Social again, nor any dance/fun 5k. I trained long and hard to waste it with a bunch of monkeys who didn’t know how to run in their own place. Runner’s etiquette was completely lost among these hooligans.
But at least I did run 5k, ending inside the Citifield stadium, where an after party was taking place. I promptly went home to avoid anymore shenanigans. I knew my time with these youths were officially over.
I would rather party with my Ker Ai.
