My First 5K: A RACE TO REMEMBER

Well on 4.29.2012 Jen Escobar completed her first 5K in the Memorial Marathon: A Race to Remember! IT WAS AWESOME! Misa and I got up at 4:30 a.m. and left the house about 5:10 a.m. I made us a bagel to split and had bananas and hard boiled eggs to eat in the car. We found a place to park downtown and then we headed towards the "Taps" building to meet up with teamOC. Luckily we noticed that President O'Neal was in front of us so we just followed him there! When we arrived we were able to reunite with some friends we hadn't seen in a while, as well as wish good luck to some friends running the full!


Then Neil Arter led us in prayer.

After that we headed to the corral with a quick bathroom break! Then we stretched and watched as the full marathoners started and then the half went. While we were waiting to start a friend came up to me and said "Jen there is a lady from North Carolina here looking for you!!" I got teary-eyed and started to look fruitlessly for my friend, running coach, and cheer leader in life... Amy! (I had NO idea she she was coming!)With 27,000 people you can imagine that phone signal was jammed so calling and texting was pointless. So as we began to walk toward the start I got goosebumps all over my body!

I put my headphones in excited for the music I had carefully picked as I built my playlist on rhapsody and entitled it "RACE DAY" and downloaded it so that I would not need Internet to play it but as I went to play it I realized that you needed a signal to initially connect to get to the playlist. I was a little panicked because I have NEVER ran without music! But with all the excitement I quickly gave Misa my headphones to put in his pocket and we quickly passed the start and began our run! I was concentrating on running slow and steady. I remembered that the most I had ever ran outside was 1 mile! We ran the first mile followed by a short 30 sec walk and then we went back to running (we probably did that 5 times and well as walked up the 2 big hills). When we reached the half way mark there were volunteers handing out water so I grabbed one a drank it and then I got another one and threw it in my face! It was so HUMID and when I run I drink a lot of water.

I than realized that I had to go to the bathroom so we made a quick stop at the porta potties (which thankfully there was no line for). The second 1/2 was great as there was 560 people running with OCtotal and we were all wearing these neon yellow shirts and we cheered each other on along the way. Once again when we turned the corner onto Broadway I had goosebumps all over my body and the street was lined with people cheering! I ran across the finish line with my hands raised high and Misa was right by my side at 40 minutes exactly!

We walked and got our medals and then we went and found some water. We got to hug some other friends and then I went back to my hunt for Amy! We were able to text enough to learn she was running the half and so we headed back to the finish line to wait to see her cross and cheer her on! While we waited we had the chance to cheer on others that we knew! Amy's sister Michelle found us and when Amy came we were all cheering and Amy stopped to come over and hug me, tell me she loved me, and that she was proud of me before she crossed the finish! (I am crying as I am writing this!)

She finished the half in 2 hours and 35 minutes! GO AMY! We then went with them to the car and Michelle gave us a ride to our car. I got to meet them for lunch and we got to talk and laugh (which is the best with those sisters) for a few hours! WHAT A GREAT DAY!!


I am defiantly hooked and have already downloaded a program to work towards 5 miles and then a 10K!!! I do feel so PROUD of me and I feel sooooo blessed that my husband has been soooo supportive and ran with me! He really liked it and said he wanted to do the 1/2 next year! I did tell him that he might have to run more than once before the race if he wants to do that!

Once again, I will share my FAVORITE verse that I pray before each run:

 "Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us." Hebrews 12:1

Couch 2 5K: Week 18!

Well, it has been 18 weeks and 54 runs! I cannot believe that tomorrow is the day I have been training for the last 18 weeks.
What a BUSY week the last week of training was! It was the last week of the semester, my sister-in-law graduated which meant lots of wonderful family in town, and I got the privilege of returning to my phase manager roots and help with checkouts in the apartments.  However,I was not going to let all of that interfere with my training. So, I texted my running coach and she suggested I run Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday! This is how it went:
RUN 1: (FUNNY STORY)
So I went to the gym with the goal of doing a 5k on the treadmill. I did my 5 minute walk warm up and then ran for 14 minutes. Walked for 90 seconds an went back to running. Now when I run I cover the screen with a towel so I don't see the time and how much is left. Anyways the second run was killing me!! So after 16 minutes I decide to walk for a minute. Well when I moved the towel I realized that somehow I had bumped the incline to 1.5! So I bumped it back down, walked a minute, and them ran the last quarter mile! I did a 5k in just under 42 minutes!!!

RUN 2: (AT THE OC GYM)
3 minutes walk
13 minute run at .5 incline
90 sec walk
13 minute run at .0 incline
3 minute walk

Run 3:
10 minute run outside

I have LEARNED so much during this process. It has REALLY amazed me how much it has paralleled my recovery journey!
LESSON 1:
Just like with my struggles, if I am serious about working on a hurt, habit or hang up I always do a lot better if I ask for accountability! (I texted or called my running coach after every run! And listened to someone who was further along the journey than me.) Some people made fun of me because of posting all the time on facebook but it really made me go when I did not want to because a least one person (and ofter more) would encourage me!
LESSON 2:
"...Living one day at a time, one moment at a time..." When I thought about having to run the whole 5K in the beginning it was 2 overwhelming but if I focused on the run in front of me and tried my best until I could do it then there were smaller victories that brought me to my goal.
LESSON 3:
Dedication and Determination are so important when trying to make a change. But it is not my "willpower" that got me through but God's will and power in my life.

Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. Hebrews 12:1

Couch 2 5k: Week 17

WEEK 17??? REALLY?? What a journey so far!!  The Couch to 5K program I started with was "supposed" to have me running a 5K in 9 weeks. Well, as my running coach told me "we all start from different couches so use it as a guideline!" I do not think I would have made it this far without hearing that sentence!

So this week I finished the last run of week 8 and I did the 1st run of week 9!
Run 1:
Walk 5 minutes
Run 15 minutes
Walk 5 minutes

Run 2:
Walk 5 minutes
Run 28 minutes
Walk 5 minutes

Run 3:
Walk 5 minutes
Run 30 minutes
Walk 5 minutes
The 1st run I did was on Monday and it was a hard day. I had a procedure at the hospital to try and determine why I am not getting pregnant. Because of almost dying in 2006 from a freak accident gallbladder removal surgery, hospital procedure rooms usually bring on a panic attack for me.  The kind doctor did give me a Valium that helped some. It was also hard because Misa was away working. I wanted to get some running in that day but I was nervous to say the least so I decided to do an easy run and then head to the hospital.


For Run 2 we had a busy day that had us leave the house at 7:30 a.m. and we returned after 8:00 p.m. Chloe had an appointment in Edmond so after that she and Allie went and hung out with their buddy Katie while I ran at the OC gym. It was GREAT!! They have the BEST fans over their treadmills and I have always ran better when there is a big fan!

I did run 3 at my YMCA and it was by far my hardest/best run!! It was soooo hot in the Y and although I love the Nike treadmills the little fans on them are a JOKE!! Plus the other night Buster came running toward me while I was sitting on the couch and so I put my foot up and he had his month open and his bottom fang went in my foot!! I did the 30 minutes though!!

I can't believe in 8 days I will be running the 5K I have been working toward! What a hard, wonderful, and roller coaster of a  journey!!

Couch 2 5K: Week 16

WEEK 16 or as I like to call it "SWEET 16"!
This was a great week of running for me!
This week's Run summary:

Run 1 (Treadmill):
Walked 5 minutes
Ran 21 minutes
I got my first "Stitch" (an intense stabbing pain under the lower edge of the ribcage that occurs while exercising). I texted my running coach from the treadmill while I continued to walk and she explained what it was and said it wouldn't hurt me so I ran for another 5 minutes.
Walked 5 minutes

Run 2 (Outside):
For Run 2 I used my "Runkeeper" App for my first time!
Summary: 2.1 Miles Walked/Ran 25 minutes
Mile Average was 13.05

Run 3 (Treadmill):
Walked 5 minutes
Ran 28 minutes
Walked 5 minutes

I was so proud after that run I could NOT contain myself and I actually screamed "YES" in the gym! HA! However I was SOOOOOOOOOO sore after this run!

After Run 2 my hip was really bothering me the next day and so I headed to the chiropractor for an adjustment and she said my hip was really jammed up in the socket. She said I could run but to run on a treadmill until it isn't bothering me and as long as I wasn't favoring my other leg affecting my running form.

I have said it before that I know now more than ever that running is mostly mental. I really think it is possible for me to run a 5K and that believing I can do is half the battle. I think my hardest thing when running is focusing on how far I have to go. I have started measuring my runs by songs and that has seemed to help. I also find that when I get into the "ZONE" where I am not focused on the running itself I do much better. Before I know it, I look down and 5 or 10 minutes have gone by! And when I think about talking myself into quitting early I think "Come on Jen! You know how great it feels when you beat that run you did last time!"  Sometimes I even say "COME ON JEN!" outloud!
My favorite Running Song this week was:
Spirit Wind by Casting Crowns (Click Here to See the Video)
It is a GREAT song and the first verse is about my most favorite Old Testament Story: Ezekiel and the Valley of the Dry Bones!

Couch 2 5K: Week 15

I can't believe it!! WEEK 14!! To be honest this was the first week I really thought I could actually run a 5K by the end of this month. I started strong and finished strong this week!


Run 1:
Walk 5 minutes
Run 20 minutes
Walk 5 minutes

Run 2: (Struggled a little)
Walk 5 minutes
Run 12
Walk 3

Run 8

Walk 2

Run 2

Walk 5

Run 3:

Walk 5 minutes
 Run 25 minutes 30 seconds (2 miles)
Walk 5 minutes

I did yoga 2 times this week at the YMCA and so I WAS really sore on Run 2 day and to be honest I was depressed and tried all day to talk myself out of going but in the end I went!

Run 3 I did in Arkansas on a treadmill at a hotel and was so excited that I ran 2 miles straight! I had never thought I would or could do that.


We have had a lot going on in our family the past few weeks and running has been great to reflect and get out some anger as well as pray as I run! As always I love great christian music that keeps me moving forward and encourages me to dig deeper each run I do!

Couch 2 5K: Week 14

I realized when I got back from Arizona that I have like 5 weeks until the race I signed up for so I had better learn to let go of my control and start running outside. So for 2 of my 3 runs this week I ran outside! Allie and I would walk to school in the morning together and then I would run home (the long way) which was exactly a mile from the school to my house. As always for me it is harder to run outside then in the gym.
These were my runs this week:




Run 1
Walk 5
Run 10
Walk 5
Run 5
Walk 5

Run 2:
Walk Allie to school
Run all the way home

Run 3 (at the Y):
Walk 5
Run 13
Walk 5
Run 8
Walk 5

All in all it was very good for me to let go of the control I feel when I run on the treadmill and listen to my good christian music, feel the wind on my face, be in that moment/in that stride and not focus on how far I had to run. All my runner friends talk about "the zone". I think I am getting there but I still need to let go and just enjoy the journey more.

Couch 2 5k: Week 13

Well for week 13 I got to experience was turn commitment was by staying committed to my running program while on vacation!  We went to Arizona to visit our good friends Billy and Sarah!! They had a YMCA by their house so I got 2 of my runs that week there!

 It was the nicest Y I had ever been to and they had the treadmills with the massive fans on the front which I tend to run better on.  These were my runs:
Run 1:
5 minutes walk
8 minutes run
5 minutes walk
8 minutes run
5 minutes

Run 2:
Walk 5 minutes
Run 20 minutes (THAT IS RIGHT I RAN 20 MINUTES STRAIGHT!)
Walk 5 minutes

Run 3: (This was when I got home at the Y).
Walk 5
Run 5
Walk 3
Run 8
Walk3
Run 5
Walk 5

Running in Arizona was SOOOO much easier!

My friend Sarah says it is because of the dry air! It was very cool to me to do all of the "vacation" things while still staying on track with my running!