MY FIRST 5K

I wasn't in the best possible conditions. Call it 'some emotional upheavals', and what is more, I hadn't been able to prepare myself properly for it - I hadn't even taken some good rest.

But I'm no quitter. I had enrolled into the event, I had paid for it, I wanted my T-shirt as well as to take part in this run in favour of the fight against breast cancer.

So I showed up. October 15th, 2011, 10 am. The sun was shining furiously. The organisers kept us waiting for half an hour. I was dehydrated. I drank too much liquid and then couldn't find the toilets. But the countdown started, and I stood near the start.

0:00. I started... walking. Walkers and runners were placed together, so it took me some time to avoid and pass walkers. Around 0:30, I could start jogging. I followed other runners who had to leave the pavement and run on the side grass. And then I could join the runners.

500 metres. I had to put up and deal with side stitches. Phew!

No signs for kilometres, no distance markers. I was running blind.

About 2K. I could see runners coming back from the opposite side. So the road had an end, and then runners and walkers were supposed to do a U-turn and come back, as undoing the way. I could already see runners coming back, but heck, I couldn't see the end of the road...

... Oh heck, when I got there... Now I am supposed to undo ALL OF IT (so so so so SO LONG), and by the time I reach the beginning/end of this segment, I still have another kilometre to go? I'll still be far from the finish line? Oh, heck, no!!!

"If I leave here tomorrow, would you still remember me?" "Freebird", by Lynyrd Skynyrd sounding in my headphones... Time to speed up. Oh, I can already see the finish line!

OH MY GOD I DID IT!!!

I'VE RUN MY FIRST 5K!!!

I CAN RUN 5K!!!

... I don't know what else to say here. I'm overwhelmed!

(Thanks, Bran, for training me for this!)