Molly's First 5K

Yesterday I did something new. Two weeks ago I agreed (due to massive peer pressure) to run the Tunnel to Towers 5K in Syracuse, NY. I know that 3.1 miles isn't really a far run, but running has always been unreasonably scary to me. I am really proud of myself for finishing the race ( with no walking). Considering that the farthest I'd run in the years before was maybe two miles. I vaguely trained during the last two weeks, but our longest distance was 2.5 miles. 

We got in the car at around 7:45 so we would get to Syracuse in enough time to register for the 10:00 race. I drove down with my lovely friend Laura and her two kids. (Sidenote: she is a badass. She ran the 5K in 27 minutes while pushing two toddlers in a stroller). We got there, registered, got our numbers and t-shirts and then headed for the starting line. I ran with my friend, but we were there in a big group of army wives. We ran in tutus and other patriotic gear. 

I knew going in that the first .75 miles are always miserable for me. This was absolutely true yesterday. The race started with a big hill, which didn't help my initial difficulty. After I got to mile 1, I was cruising. I felt awesome and focused on motivating my running buddy. I felt great until around mile 2.7 when my legs started to feel like tree trunks. I was so excited when we made the turn for the final .1 miles. We finished in about 31 minutes. I really wanted to be sub-30, but for my first 5K I am pretty happy. My friends took pictures of us finishing, but they haven't posted them online yet. 

This was a really fun day. I liked getting the exercise, but I also loved supporting a great cause with my friends. This race is designed to honor the legacy of Stephen Siller. He was an off duty fireman on 9/11. When he heard about the attack, he tried to reach the towers by car. When the tunnel was closed, he ran the final distance to the towers. He sacrificed his life trying to save those trapped in the towers. You can read more about his incredible efforts here.