Pound the Pavement for Parenthood

Thanks to Jill for the photo!

About a week and a few days ago I did something I said I would never do...

I completed a 5k

My original thoughts on why I think 5k's are ridiculous...

Who likes to run for fun? Seriously.

I could spend my time doing something much more enjoyable.

And really, who likes to run?

Last November my dear friend Jill started a non-profit organization called Pound the Pavement for Parenthood. I wasn't able to run at that time because I had just had Connor and lets face it, not quite prepared for that. On May 14th they had another 5k sponsoring a different couple and Brandon and I decided to continue supporting our friends and walk/run this one! We signed up and a day before the race Brandon found out he needed to be a good home teacher and pick up someone from the airport at the exact same time. So it came down to Connor and I.

Saturday morning rolled around and we got ready for the day. Brandon dropped me off at the park with Connor, said he loved me and off he went! I "signed in" and started to get pumped up/nervous of this whole experience. One of my biggest problems is I'm very out of shape, and I didn't quite prepare for this 5k. I kept telling myself if worse came to worse I'd just "take a short cut" and finish a bit early. Well the time came, everyone lined up, and we started!

I decided to start off the race with a small jog. It didn't go on very long (remember out of shape), but I still tried to keep the mind set of, jog until I'm uncomfortable, walk until I get comfortable and switch it up. I had a few goals in mind...to finish before they had "picture time", and to not be last. Connor and I started going along and everything was great, music was great, outside was great, Connor was fantastic. About half way I really started to feel my out of shape mind saying "ok, it's time to take that short cut." But in the back of my mind I kept remembering that I needed to accomplish this. Brandon had told me how proud he was of me, and I just was feeling horrible if I decided to just cut the race short. So I persisted.

As I was walk/jogging so many thoughts popped into my head. One of them being, when I was growing up I wanted to do a few things in high school (mostly ballroom and some other sports). I asked my Mom about it but she just said, 'we didn't have the money' and that was that. I never pressed it because I knew my Mom was working so hard for my family and so on I went. I realized that I've told Brandon that so many times. "I'm sorry babe, we can't do that right now, we don't have the money." I hated myself for realizing it! I've said it multiple times, and I came to the conclusion that if I could finish this race that instead of saying "We just don't have the money", I could then say "How can we make it so we can do 'insert item/event' ." I want my children to be able to do whatever they want! I want them to be the athlete, dancer, smart kid, etc etc etc. I want them to be them! I learned that instead of thinking the negative side on how we couldn't be able to do things, I should be thinking, 'ok how can we do this?'.

After I was thinking that I started thinking of the many things in my life that I never 'finished'...So I pushed on, I never had any idea that participating in a 5k would make me reflect on my life so much.

I started thinking about Jill and Allen. I was there for them, for their baby E & D that will bless their family some day. I was showing my faith and hope for their family. Brandon and I have said time and time again how much we love them, they will be the most wonderful parents and we're so grateful for them. They are truly more like family and I thank and plead with our Heavenly Father every day for their cause.

I got my burst of energy at the end when I knew I was close to the end. I finished at a horrible time of 48 min some odd seconds. But I finished. Connor was amazing and just talked the whole time. I'm so proud to say that I completed a 5k. I'm proud of the Witt's for their strength and for them to push me through something I said would never happen.

I wish I would have brought my camera. I technically don't have documented proof, but I did have Sarah and Jill take a picture, so hopefully I can get a copy of one soon. (Haha thanks to Jill, there's one at the top now! )