I remember trying out for the seventh grade cross country team. It was a very humid summer day. The popular kids stuck together and I was often left keeping up the tail end of the runs. I got discouraged and lasted just for one practice. My presence wasn’t missed and that ended my forte into sports.

I don’t know what would have happened if I stuck with it. If I would have been more comfortable with myself or would I have tried to fit in. Would scouting had been prevalent in my life or would I stuck with sports? Those are the questions I often ask myself when I think about becoming active again.

Those same feelings invade my thought process when I think of doing any other type of group sports again. Luckily running is a very individual sport and one that I can work on with others.

I have been training for about two months (give or take) for my first 5k on 4/1/06. I was running five times a week and working my way upto the 3.1 mile mark. Unfortunately last Monday my knee gave out and this past week I was trying to recuperate for the 5k on saturday.

I struggled with the idea of going in the morning. I didn’t get a lot of sleep and my knee was still bothering me a little. I woke up, took ibuprofen, got cleaned up and headed to the Arena District. I picked up my race packet which had my bibb and my t-shirt and waited on my friends to arrive. It was nerve wrecking standing there waiting, especially for the start. Luckily the wait wasn’t too long and we were off at 9:10.

The run its self wasn’t too bad, and it was amazing to see people along the side of the road cheering you on. I was able to get a mile to a mile and a half into it before the knee started bothering me. I had to slow down and walk a little through out the entire 5k but was able to finish in 41:34. I kept a 13:23 minute mile pace and would have been faster if I didn’t have to walk.

The next 5k is scheduled for the second weekend in May and the goal now is to not over train and be able to run completely through the path.

Once the pictures are posted I’ll snag a few and put them up.