This was the field I ran in for my very first race. It was a 5K at the Potato and Corn Festival in North Branford, CT August of 2011. It is a very memorable day for me, not just because it was my first race, but because it was probably the worst first race anyone could have had! I had thrown my back out the day before because I was riding on the hayrides in a bumpy field, going on the slides with my kids, and sitting improperly on the grass. These were all recipes for disaster. The morning of the race my mom had to go to the quick clinic for an infection so she wasn’t sure if she was going to make it for my first race, and not to mention it was a torrential downpour.
But, it didn’t stop me from participating in my first 5K that I had been training for. Despite being driven there in tears with my family, I pinned on my number, slopped through the mud and lined up with the other runners. Then the race began. I pushed through the pain and took my first steps into my racing career. The rain came down so hard my headphones stopped working. I was afraid I was going to short out my iPod. I had no clue what the course we going to be like but I followed the pack. I was mostly towards the back, but I was just happy to be there.
My finish time was 38 minutes. Not my best 5K time, but it was my first PR. Since then I have done many 5Ks, several 10Ks, half marathons and 3 full marathons. This was where it all began for me. As they do every year, the race was held this year, but I chose to sit it out because I am training for the Dumbo Double Dare, along with the Philadelphia Marathon, and the Dopey challenge. I can’t afford to twist an ankle on a trail run that I haven’t trained for. But this race will always mean something to me. And I am proud to walk its course and remember what it was like running my first race there.