I started running in May 2013. For years I have tried to become a runner, but never got past the first week. I decided to sign up for a 5K race. This way, I invested money in running. I also posted to my friends on Facebook that in 8 weeks I would be running a race, so I felt more accountable to hit the asphalt.
Eight weeks after I started, I found myself on the starting line for my first 5K. It was July and about 100 degrees in the shade. I had one goal for the race: to not finish last. I knew I was slow, so I started far back in the pack. And at the end of the race, when I crossed the finish line in just over 38 minutes, there was still a group of people behind me, struggling with their own time and the humidity that took over that weekend.
These are the things I leaned running my first 5K:
• People will cheer for you, no matter how slow you are. And you have the most people to cheer for you if you do finish last, because all those who finished before you are rooting for you to cross the finish line.
• Listen to your body. I could not run all the way because I was not accustomed to running in that heat. I took many walk breaks. Although I wanted to run the entire distance, I accepted the fact that the weather and the need for more training called for me to take breaks.
• Talk to strangers. My husband was there to cheer me on, but I wanted to meet other runners, and the only way to do that was to come out of my comfort zone and talk to people around me. I did, at the starting line, in line for the porta-potties, and hanging out in the parking lot.
• Water that is splashed on you by volunteers is much more refreshing than that which you drink, especially if it’s 100 degrees.
• It’s nicer to run in the shade than the sun. Maybe that will change as I start running in the winter.
• Know the race route. I checked online for the route and knew which way to go. After I finished, I learned some people went the wrong way. It was the inaugural race for this event and there was a last minute course change, so many people weren’t sure where they were going. The leaders of the pack ended up running about 5 miles instead of 3.1.
• Have loved ones at the finish line. There is nothing better than seeing your own pep squad cheering for you when you feel like you have nothing left to give and fear you might not make it. For me, it was the difference between crossing the finish line strong and dragging myself to the end.
• Be proud to wear your race t-shirt. You earned it, not just on race day, but on all the runs in preparation for the big event.
• And the biggest lesson I learned was don’t be afraid to try something new. Running my first race was a gamble for me. I don’t like to put myself in situations that are uncomfortable or unknown. To sign up for and run a race for the first time was scary, but well worth the price of admission. I pushed my own limits and learned I am capable of much more than previously thought.
That is what running has become to me. I find myself pushing my limits far beyond what I thought I could do. Every day that I go out and run, I have to look inside myself to find that push to get out the door and the push to keep going when my body wants to quit. Remembering the cheering crowds at my first race and the feeling of accomplishment I felt crossing the finish line has kept me going on those long, cold, lonely runs that inevitably happen while training.
Amber Hadigan currently lives in Hyde Park, NY with her husband John and her two cats, Sobe and Scrappy. Originally from Wisconsin, she has lived in many different states. Now settled, she spends her time working, freelance writing, and writing and performing folk music. A runner as a child, she began running again in May 2013 and has rediscovered the peace and joy running gives her.
old and has worked for Wayland Baptist University since 2004 as the Director of Human Resources. In 2009, the title of Wellness Manager was added when he was asked to start the university’s Wayland Wellness program. Since the start of this program, Ron has lost 100 lbs in one year and has been able to maintain his weight for over three years, has assisted the university maintain a low cost of medical premiums, and helped a number of employees and their family members live healthier life styles. In order to maintain his healthy life style, Ron enjoys running, cycling, Crossfit training, and participating in a number of running and cycling in events in Texas and New Mexico. You can follow Ron healthy life style on Facebook at 
I used some of that energy to go for a walk. A cool, refreshing walk. Outside–where I had not been in quite a while because I just did not have the energy, things looked a little brighter, a little clearer. I started walking everyday. I started walking with a friend I had just met. Eventually, I told her that I really did not enjoy walking as much as I loved running. I felt that walking was like chewing without swallowing.. you got the taste but it never really satisfied. So she offered to run with me.
So I took her advice. I started to run. We went to races and she would walk and I would run/walk. I would come to finish line not long before she did but I was happy…I could run!!! I started setting goals. I started planning training strategies, I went to the gym and took up cross-training ways to get stronger. I started to eat better so that I could work harder. I had a plan…I had a day to day plan for my life that turned into a reason to live. In that life I had energy for my husband, my kids and their families, for myself.
Carolyn Guhman is a 61 year old, retired insurance agent who is a mother of five and grandmother of six. She lives in suburban New Orleans, LA with her husband, Rick. When health issues forced her into early retirement and severe depression in 2008, she decided it was time to grab the reins of her own life. After a couple of years of trying to figure out where things went wrong and how to set them right,she laced up her shoes, filled out some race registrations, discovered a whole community of helpful people and finally found herself–running. Follow Carolyn on Facebook at
However I began to think of what could be done in NZ of a similar magnitude. A few people had run the length of NZ ( a distance of approximately 2000kms) but what could be done in the range of 5000 kms? This is where I looked at running around NZ – East and West coasts of both islands. I decided to stick to main roads and came up with a route of approximately 5300 kms – a big undertaking – with an itinerary worked out over 70 days. This meant averaging 73 kms per day with some days more and some less. The last 24 hours would entail covering 150 kms with the idea being “ if I wasn’t written off already, I certainly would be at the end”. This sort of run is something that had never been attempted in NZ.
At the start my mind was in a good space – I was expecting the good days as well as the really hard days and this really helped. There are always going to be the good and the hard so it was a case of enjoying it when things were going well and dropping it back to say the next lamp post when things were getting hard. Probably, initially the hardest part was days 16 – 21. I was in a sense in new territory having only run these sort of distances for 15 days straight. I had to battle the “ mind “ for a few days to get through this and it became so important to break everything down into smaller pieces. If I had kept focusing on the end target it would have become a huge struggle. Here again it became so important to have a routine which basically stayed the same day in and day out.This generally was :
The routine worked well and the body adjusted fairly quickly. This was a magnificent run around some very beautiful country and I ran back into the finishing point at the designated time. The other great point from the run was getting the message out about Mental health and the great effect any form of exercise has on peoples mental wellness.
eagerly accepted the challenge and our competitive juices started turning as we talked about the coming year.
Most importantly, I’ve learned that as the leader of this amazing group of people there is so much good that we can do. In May we held a virtual running event and raised more than $2,500 for a seven year old boy, Adler, who was facing kidney cancer and his family had no insurance. Moon Joggers around the world wore striped socks in honor of Adler the Brave. In July we raised $1,000 for a group of runners in Kenya that were in need of good running shoes. I look forward to future virtual events to be held, as more money is raised for people in need.
I remembered that feeling last week when I wrote my younger sister about the Space Coast Half Marathon. I knew she hadn’t had as much time to train as she’d hoped and I didn’t want her to feel obligated just because I registered her for her 30th birthday. My email was an opportunity for her to be let off the hook if she was looking for a way to back out.
