I Did It! My First 5k! (Plus a Quick Trip to DC)

I'm back from our quick trip to the Washington, DC/Northern Virginia area this past weekend. It was nice to see Husband J's friend, Davey. I actually mentioned him last year.

Most importantly, I FINISHED the Christopher Carter Foundation's first annual 5K and Fun Run/Walk! It was sooo much harder than I thought it would be. Why? Because of the HILLS. No matter how much I would have worked out in relatively flat Brooklyn, nothing would have prepared me for the approximately four large hills and three plus small ones that I had to jog/run up, BUT I DID IT!

Husband J and I before the race

I didn't walk AT ALL. I actually got a little bummed because people WERE walking. I know that it was a fun run, but I just couldn't walk my first time out. I had a lot to prove to myself, and I was really thinking about why I was running (for Chris' memory and for my own personal goals). There were people who would pass me, and I felt sorta dumb, but I knew that I was going at a pace that I could handle even if it was slow as molasses. It didn't help that I was appreciating some of the many cute houses that I was passing by in Arlington, Virginia. It was such a pretty neighborhood, and we had lots of residents cheering us on.

Seeing the sign for mile three made me VERY happy. I was so happy that my not very good high school sprinter's kick came through, and I finished really strong (which means I can go faster that I actually do). Here's some pics that our friend Davey took of me finishing.

Husband J and I joke that this looks like I finished last, but I actually didn't. I was surprised that there were people behind me (although not that many).

We actually ended up doing quite a bit for less than 24 hours in Washington, DC. We took a quick boat ride on the Potomac River with some of Davey's friends. Even though I had lived there for a short time, I didn't realize that there was a small boating community in DC.

A view of the Lincoln Memorial from the Potomac. I didn't have my camera, so my IPhone with no zoom had to take this pic.

We also went out for dinner on 14th Street in the Logan Circle area. 14th Street has changed so much in the five years since I left DC. I'm glad to see more dining options in the area. We had a very late, but fun dinner at Masa 14, a Asian-Latin fusion restaurant and lounge. I think it was a good place for me and Husband J. Loud enough to make you feel like you went out without feeling like you actually went out for the night. Hey, we're old married people. :)

Tuna Sashimi Flatbread from Masa 14.

Well, that was my quick weekend away. How was your weekend?

Runners, what was your first race like?

For all of you, is there a personal, physical or other goal that you were determined to accomplish? What was it?