I finally did it!!!

Today I ran my first 5K. I finished in 37m 17s, a whole 2 minutes and 83 seconds before my goal. My time is pathetic to some - you know, anyone who can run a mile in under 12m39s - but I'm pretty damn proud of it.

Still, as I finally sit down to process the run (12 hours later - its been a long day), I can't help but realize that I learned a few important things about humanity and myself today. Of course, I'm going to share them with you.

1. I still hate running.

2. You know that Gatorade commercial, the one with the professional athletes sweating Gatorade and then the screen flashes the "Is it in you" slogan? It's not in me.

3. People look funny when they run. I may be one of them, but still. At the race today there was a woman running who had her 3 kids running right behind her in a perfect line. All four of them ran with their hands on their hips ... the entire race. They looked like ducks. I couldn't pass them because I was afraid I would burst out laughing. That, and they were going faster than me.

4. Everyone runs faster than I do. Yes, I mean everyone.

5. I need to explain to my daughter the difference between a "run" and a "chase." As I was leaving, she told me to "Go chase."

6. Okay, granted I'm a new runner. But during a race, if you slow to a walk, aren't you supposed to get out of the middle of the road?

7. The people who finish the race within 5 minutes shouldn't be allowed to walk back to the start from the finish line, looking for the people they left behind. They look all snarky and sweaty and finished. And it's not fair.

8. When I was swimming, I used to gripe about how boring swimming was, how I hated it and I never wanted to do it again. I would take swimming any day of the week and twice on Sundays over running.

9. Why do people feel the urge to dress up as superheroes when they run? And why didn't I think of it first?

10. I really really hate running. But I feel really really really proud of myself for finishing.