The First 5K

I'm a fraud.

I am always telling women about all of the great benefits running offers, and that, yeah, you should totally sign up for a 5K, 10K, whatever...

Most would assume I'm offering this advice because I've been there, done that.

Well, I have been a runner for about eight years now, but I have to admit that I have never participated in an organized running event. I've run a ton of 5Ks and 10Ks on my own - outside or on the treadmill - and my longest run topped out at more than 11 miles, but for some reason I have always been intimidated about running in an event with a bunch of other runners. Will I be able to finish? Will I be the slowest one out there?

Last fall, while running through City Park on a beautiful weekend morning, I ran into the Denver Marathon. I saw runners of all ages and abilities, some running, some speed-walking, and some simply looking like they were on a casual morning stroll. That was the moment when I realized that I could do it. I could do it, and I wouldn't be last. If that 45-year-old overweight man could do it, I could do it.

Today I did it. It wasn't a marathon, or a half-marathon. It wasn't even a 10K. Today I ran a 5K with an amazing group of running mothers at City Park. The event was the RLAMiversary Run - it has been one year since the inspiring book, Run Like a Mother, was published and groups of amazingly in-shape moms in Denver and Portland, Oregon (where the two authors live) got together to run this morning in celebration of the anniversary.

It was amazing to see so many women, some pushing strollers, running together, honoring one another, recognizing that each of us has busy lives, each of us has given birth and has a husband and children at home needing us, for what can sometimes feel like every minute of every day. Yet we all somehow manage to take time for ourselves, we all take care of ourselves.

We all run.

Participating in my first organized running event felt so good, I'm already thinkin' about when my next event will be, and I'm hoping this runner's high sticks around for a while.