When I was a kid I was definitely obese. I was that fat kid who was made fun of and couldn't run to save my life. Flash forward to 2013 I signed up for my first 10K and little did I know that it would be the start of my non competitive running career lol. I wanted to say non competitive because I'm not a quick runner but I can run...well maybe jog but still. As of today I have completed 9 half marathon, this even includes almost a two year break of not running in races. I started running because I wanted to beat my brother, yes the rivalry still exist even though I am an adult. I started running in Disney Race, which were amazing and an experience you had to go through but looking back at them they were way too expensive. After a year of doing Disney Races I had to stop because of the cost. The registration cost alone was expensive, let alone the flights, hotel, food, rental, and other expenses. I enjoyed those races but now since I have bills and debts to pay it is time to buckle down...for the most part. In 2016 I moved back to OKC and I am so thankful I did. I have great friends and was able to get back into running. I got very ambitious and started to sign up for races left and right...which sounds wonderful but after taking a long break it was tough. I remember doing my first race after my hiatus, which was a 5K and I could hardly breathe when running. At that point I knew I was out of shape and had to get my stuff together to get back into shape. I got back in the gym and started the grind. Being overweight isn't easy, I have struggled for years trying to get down to my goal weight but there are always obstacles and short comings that come my way. Registering for races helps me be accountable for my weight.
Flash forward about four months I will start my first half marathon in almost two years. I signed up for the Cowtown Challenge in Fort Worth Texas, which included two races in a weekend. Being sort of stuck up I signed up for the 10K and half marathon challenge. I have done a challenge like this before but it has been about three year. I was definitely nervous about running. I had a lot of challenges in my way but I wasn't going to give up. Just want to remind you I'm not a small guy, I am 5'5 and weigh about 215 lbs so I'm definitely not an elite runner by any means. I had some issues starting both the 10K and Half Marathon but with some determination and will I was able to finish both races with a good time...in my eyes. I finished my 10K at 1:10:50, which isn't bad. That is only about 10 minutes shy of my fastest 10K which is at 1:01:13. I was able to complete my half marathon under 2:45 at 2:43:55, I was hoping under 2:30 but knew it was not going to happen. I was happy under 2:45. Little did I realize that I signed up for three more races the next two weekends after Cowtown.
I get nervous about a lot of stuff and running is one of them. Little Rock Half Marathon was my next race and I only had a week to recover. I didn't exercise much the week before because of the soreness and wanted to make sure that I did not hurt myself before the race. Since I had some time off I went down to Little Rock the day before so that I could volunteer. That morning I really did not want to get up but you know I am glad I did. I met two lovely ladies by the name of Mary, who was from LR and Pat, who was from Maine. They were both very nice and we had some great talks about running and life. I enjoyed checking in runners and wishing them a good race because I know I needed it. That night I looked at the forecast and there was a 50% chance it was going to rain. I started to prepare myself mentally because running is one thing but running in rain is another. It was hard to sleep knowing that I just did a half marathon last weekend and having to do another one very soon. I got up on Sunday the 5th and looked at the weather. Well it was going to be a wet race. I grabbed my gear and headed off. Luckily I have done a race in the rain, but my main concern was not slipping and not getting my phone wet. What I did was bought some ziplock bags and stuck my phone in it. This was the cheapest way I could keep my expensive phone from not getting wet. Some may say why do you have to have your phone on you? Well it's because I track all of my races and keep a log and then it's hard for me to run without music. During the race I was definitely checking my phone to make sure it wasn't wet. There was some moisture because of the heat that I was putting out but my phone was good. The race started slow because of the large crowd, I was able to break loose and chose my own pace. The race was not easy but there were parts that were really fun, especially when the course went in a semi loop and I was able to cheer on/high five other racers. That made that short distance a lot easier. Needless to say I was able to shed about 4 minutes off of my Cowtown run and get under 2:40. I was definitely proud stepping over that line and receiving my medal. Granted I'm not number 1 or get any special prize but you know it is an accomplishment to finish a race. In addition to being able to push yourself to the max. In this race I was able to run/job for 10 miles without stopping, for me that is amazing. Never in a million years did I think I could finish a half marathon let alone run 10 miles without stopping. Push yourself as far as you can (without hurting yourself), you will be surprised and what you can accomplish.
Since I talked a lot about myself here are some information that may help you.
1) Aren't race registration expensive? Yes they can be but if you do it right you can save some money. For example, I try and register as soon as I can to save the most money. Some times the difference in only several bucks or so and others it can be 40-50, it just depends on the race. You can also defer your race or trade it to someone if something happens. Sometimes there is a fee sometimes you are SOL. Check the rules because every race is different. Also if you attend expos you can get some discounts or if you are on social media you can win entries into races.
2) Aren't hotels expensive? They can be, but if you get a group together it can be cheap. There are several things you can do, such as book on priceline or hotwire express deals.
3) Doesn't priceline/hotwire express deals hide the hotels? Yes, but by using filters and using the percent off you can calculate which hotel you most-likely will get.
4) Don't you have to eat out all the time? You can or if you hotel has a fridge you can make your own breakfast, lunch and dinners. Some races will give you food afterward, which can save you money.
5) Do races have time limits? Yes most of them do, and some of them are very strict. Review the rules and make sure you can finish or you may have just wasted your money. I completed a Disney race and there were about 1500 people that didn't finish and that is definitely a waste of money.
If you have any other questions for me please let me know. Until next time.
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