2013 Paws and Claws 5K: My first race!

Today is the big day! David and I are going to be running in our first race in Fredrick, Maryland. It feels so silly to be nervous about running a 5K, but in my adult life I have never run competitively. I am setting my expectations very low. Very low. My goal is to finish the race without walking. That is achievable, right? My husband David is an ultra competitor, and his goal is to finish in less than 30 minutes. (I sometimes wonder where he gets his huge internal drive. I wish he would share a little with me.) We have been training for weeks. I have run occasionally. However, I have recently discovered the Les Mills classes at my local gym, and I believe I am addicted to cross training. As we approach the race, I can't help but notice that we could not have picked a more beautiful day for a race.  It is 7:30 A.M. The sun is shining. There is not a cloud in the sky. An added bonus is that this race involves animals... dogs I mean. Several of the racers have their dogs and will be running with them in the race. There's something about a dog that makes me feel so at ease. I also learn that the money we paid for the race is going to the Fredrick County animal shelters. Bonus! I really like the idea that we are donating to a good cause every time we race. David and I prepare for the race with all of the essentials: C4 energy drink to get my energy level up, protein drink to fuel my muscles so I don't keel over and die once we are done, and suntan lotion because I am pasty white. Sounds like the recipe for a winner to me! As we line up at the starting line, the adrenaline gets my heart beating so fast. (Or maybe it's the C4.) Even in this small little race, that competitive drive still comes over me. I put my headphones on, blare Eminem, and start warming up to go. The horn blows, AND WE'RE OFF. The first mile is not bad. The adrenaline is carrying me farther than I thought I would go. Then, the hills start. Fredrick is not exactly known for it's flat terrain. Still, I can just imagine how good my butt is going to look after I am done! The second mile I start to get a good pace going. I will not let a dog beat me to this finish line. By the third mile, I am really starting to feel the heat, but I can start to see the finish line. As I approach it, I see David cheering me on! Now I am getting excited! (I am also racing against a woman who looks to be in really good shape, and I want a butt like hers.) As we race across the finish line together, we give each other a huge high five. I haven't felt a high like this in a long time. What an achievement! I find out that the woman I was racing against has two kids, and this is her first race also. I hope that I am still running after two kids! We get a picture together and congratulate each other. I am really getting a sense of camaraderie with competitive running even tough it is an individual sport. David came in 2nd in his age group! His prize was a basket of dog treats. Our dog, Chapel, may begin to like this whole running thing too. In the end, I achieved my goal of finishing without stopping to walk. All in all I would say it was a success. Next up is an 8K. I never thought I would be so excited for our next race. It looks like I have found my new sport.

The Starting Line

"Running is a road to self-awareness and reliance. You can push yourself to extremes and learn the harsh reality of your physical and mental limitations or coast quietly down a solitary path watching the earth spin beneath your feet." 


You really never know how strong you are until being strong is your only option. In 2013, I was put to the biggest test of my lifetime.  My father was battling a losing fight with cancer, and this was the first experience that I have ever had with losing someone you truly love. In my emotional struggle to stay sane, daily rigorous workouts became my lifeline. My father passed away in March 6, 2013, and my husband, David, and I took the first chance we could to escape to California. It was in California that my husband and I decided to explore the idea of competitive running. I have always been interested in challenging, new athletic endeavors. The list I have attempted so far ranges from the flying trapeze to skydiving. I enjoy the adrenaline rush that you get the moment before you take that first step into the unknown. In order to set a goal for ourselves, David and I signed up to compete in the half marathon event of the 2013 Baltimore Running Festival. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I could endure 13.1 miles of running on an open road. However, in true Laura fashion, a sporadic idea turned into a crazy new path in my life, and I am now a competitive runner...and I am loving every minute of it.