I ran the Wishbone 5K for the first time last year. I had just moved back to Fishers that summer after living in Indianapolis for over 6 years. While being back in Fishers was great, my running had gone from being consistent to intermittent at best. Due to health reasons, I had to cut back on my running. And getting started again in the heat of the summer was extremely difficult. But running was something I had grown to love in the past few years, and I did not want to let it go.
What I Needed Was a Goal
So when I heard about the Wishbone 5K, I thought it would be a great way to get back into committed running. Now I know Thanksgiving runs are usually fun events for most people, but I wanted this event to be my best race ever. It would have been the first race I had run in over two years.
Unlike my previous races, where I more or less trained on my own, I followed an actual training plan this time around. For those 7 weeks, I found myself doing different types of runs I had never done before, like tempo and threshold runs. I also committed to doing strength training two times a week. I didn't know what my race time would end up being, but I wanted to get a sub-30 time, though sub-28 would have been super.
A Rough Start
During the race itself, I lined up somewhere in the middle, thinking that was the appropriate place for me. My husband, who hadn't joined me in training, had signed up as well, so I thought it would be nice to start the race with him. As soon as the race started, though, I immediately regretted not lining up more toward the front. There were so many walkers that I had to get around, and I thought, "There goes that sub-30!" But, I didn't give up. I had trained so hard for this race; I wanted to give it my all. And I did. I didn't look at my watch the entire time because I didn't want to get demoralized and also didn't want to waste even a second.
A Surprise Finish
When I reached the finish line and looked over at my watch, I was so surprised.
Okay, maybe there was an issue with the watch, I thought.
When the results came in, I was in complete shock: 25:59.4. A sub-26! I had never run a single mile in the low 8s before.
Did I just do that?
I even placed 4th in my age/gender group. I didn't qualify for a free pie, but that was okay because there was plenty of pie waiting for me at my in-laws' later that evening.
Doing the Impossible
To this day, when I doubt my ability to run or struggle with even telling people I am a runner because "I run slow," I remind myself of that Wishbone 5K. I know I will never be an elite runner. And that's okay. I think back to middle school when I couldn't even run a single mile without stopping before the half-mile mark and then reflect that almost 15 years later, I ran not just one but 3.1 miles consecutively at an average pace of 8:23.
My 2022 Wishbone 5K experience remains one of my most memorable running experiences to date. I proved myself wrong yet again. Not only am I indeed a runner, but if I really commit to a plan, I can do things I never thought possible.
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You, too, can prove yourself wrong! Walkers, joggers, runners, pups, strollers - all who have a desire to travel the 5k course are welcome this Thanksgiving Day. Unavailable on Nov. 23? You can participate in a virtual run (5k and 10k options). Proceeds of this event go to the Community Campaign for the Fishers YMCA, helping those in our community hold Y memberships and join Y programs. Sign up today!
