River CIty 10k Race

On November 1, 2008, I ran my very first race, the River City 5K race.  It was a Rotary Club sponsored event and I had never run any races before.  Less than a month from that race, I had been released from home confinement and was free.  A few days before I ran around Lake Eola four (4) times which I think was approximately 3 miles or 5 kilometers.  On the day of the 5K race, I started out as hard as I could and I do not remember if I walked at all, but I do remember being so hot and so tired that I swore I would "never do this again".  Once I finished, I was standing around with my parents and learned that I had come in 2nd in my age division - there were only 2 people in my age division.  I won a plaque! My first race and I won something.  It did not matter that I was really slow. I had won at something when I felt like a loser at everything. 

After that race, I ran the Turkey Trot 5k for Thanksgiving in downtown Orlando, Florida and then I ran the OUC 5k the first weekend of December and was given my first medal.  Some other people were going to run a half marathon which seemed incomprehensibly difficult for me.  I thought "Wow, I wonder if I could ever run so far."  The next year I did that OUC Half Marathon and it was my first half marathon.  One month later I ran the Disney Marathon, my first marathon. 

Yesterday, I ran the River City 10K for the 4th time and this is the first year that I did not win a plaque.  I was disappointed, but keeping things in perspective...this year alone, I earned the Miami Marathon medal, 7 half marathon medals, the Mount Everest Challenge medal, and the Miracle Miles 15k medal...it is about the race.  And I loved this run, perfect weather and I had energy for the whole race.  I lose to win.