Kim Zay Weight Loss

So, ever since I drove the course for my race this weekend, I've been sick with worry over whether or not I'll be able to complete it. I mean, I've run 5k, once, but never again since. It took me me 37 mins that day. And I didn't care how long it took, I was just happy I was able to run it. Since that day, the longest I have run is 30 mins. A little less than 5k. And that's indoors on the treadmill at a controlled speed in a temperature controlled gym. And since I had heard that running outside was a lot harder in general teamed with all the small hills this course had, I was def questioning my ability to finish this course.

I figured it'd be a good idea to do a test run to get an idea which parts were gonna give me a hard time race day. Try and remember where the hills were and get a feel for where I was in the race [halfway point, etc].
So today after I dropped Ava at school, instead of heading to the gym, I went to the course to run. At 8:48 am.
Let me tell you, 2 years ago there is no way I could picture myself running at 8:48 am. And outside! For the 1st time ever. I think the most I have run outdoors since I was a kid is maybe 2 mins? Tops. And someone was probably chasing me.
Yeah. This is gonna be good.

With my street list in hand [remember all those turns I told you about?], I started off downhill. 3 mins in, I thought I was gonna have to stop. "I'll never be able to make it back up this hill" kept running through my head. But I pushed through.

I reached the bottom of the hill, and knowing this was the 1 mile mark, I started to feel a bit better. 10 mins later, it started to drizzle. Felt good and made me feel a bit better about how pathetic I must have looked running so painfully slow with so much sweat dripping off me. I wasn't sweating people, that was just rain dripping from my face. Yeah, that's it.

Once I got to the halfway point, although I felt like I was gonna straight-up pass out roadside, I knew I'd at least be able to finish. At one point while going up Heartbreak hill a small hill, I could have sworn I was running in place. That's how slow I felt. But I didn't care, I was at least still running.

Few more streets and I was back on the hill I started down on. Home stretch. I couldn't see the lot I started from but I knew I was close. And exactly 36:39 mins later, I was done.

Back at the lot, I circled a few times to try and get my breathing back to a steady state. My body surprising didn't feel so bad [I don't do hills!]. But my lungs were killing me. Not used to taking in breaths of cold air so quickly. But overall, I felt good. Real good. And I now know I can totally do this on Sunday. My adrenaline & endorphins are sky rocketing.


And then 5 mins later, it subsided and I felt like this:

And I was happy.