My First Run

Chateau Elan Muscadine Run

November 18, 2017. My first run.

Remember when I said my best friend convinced me to add 'Run a 5k' to my bucket list? Well I went all of 2017 debating if I really wanted to do that. I kept telling myself "you'll never be able to complete one." I knew I wasn't strong enough to compete or even try.

Until one day, I was scrolling through my email at work. There was an email that caught my eye. The tagline was RUN THE CHATEAU ELAN MUSCADINE RUN. I sat there staring at the contents for about 20 minutes. The body of the message read something along the lines of:

Have the opportunity to run through the vineyards that you walk through day to day. For FREE!

Then there was a registration form attached. I thought, what better way to cross this off of my bucket list than to run a 5k at my job (yes, I work at Chateau Elan Winery & Resort) and for FREE! After another 5 minutes of contemplation, I filled out the registration form. 

Two weeks later, I received an email informing me of the details for the race. I started having a small panic attack when I realized the run was only three weeks away.

The morning of November 18th snuck up on me. I drove into work and saw at least 150 standing around and stretching. I walked up to get my bib number and thought twice about turning around and leaving. It was freezing cold outside and the air was wet from rain the night before. 

I decided to line up towards the back of the pack in hopes of blending in. Before I know it the gun goes off and everyone picks up a quick pace. I'm quickly lost in the mix. I decided that if I'm going to do this then I'm going to do it right. I started running and ended up running the first quarter mile. 

I quickly became winded and wanted to give up, but kept pushing forward. It was beautiful scenery to run through. The vineyards were still in bloom and the feeling of seeing new parts of the property made it well worth it. 

I ended up walking most of the race because I hurt my knee, but made sure to finish strong. My finishing time ended up being 44:06 and boy was I shocked beyond belief. I had actually completed a run.

When I crossed the finish line, I loved the way I felt. It was freeing and therapeutic. From that moment I knew it was something that I wanted to do again. I wanted to feel that way again.