How to Succeed in a 5K (without really trying)

The title of this post is a lie.  While I did run my 5K this weekend, and I did it in 31:52 (beating my personal best by 1 minute and 2 seconds, thankyouverymuch), I did in fact try.  Hard.

If I can run a 5K, anyone can.  Here, I will tell you my tips and tricks to surviving the 3.2 miles that I have now run 6 times.

• Do not look up.  Keep you head down.  Or at least do not look ahead of you very far.  You will only be discouraged by how far you still have to run.
• Pretend you are living in cave man times.  This is your mean of transportation.  Your body was literally meant to run.  Run to catch your dinner.  Or run away from being something else's dinner.  Either way, you ran.
• One foot in front of the other.  That's it.  That's all you have to do.
• Think about what else you could have been doing for 32 minutes.  Watch TV?  Read?  Go for a walk?  BORING.  Run, it's only for 32 minutes.
• Picture yourself crossing the finish line to something you love.  A pedicure (why yes, I treated myself to one after completing the race)?  A steak and a beer (check to both of those two)?  Throngs of screaming fans (I had my parents and in-laws as well as hot hip young cousin Katie there cheering me on, close enough)?  Run for a reason, even if it IS something to treat yourself to.
• Look at all of the people passing you, including the 78 year old man and his wife, and know that you.can.do.it!
• Sing to yourself "Running Against the Wind" and every other song played during Forest Gump's running scenes.

I completed my 5K in my own personal record time.  I did NOT run fast.  But I ran the entire thing.  No walking up the 4 different hills from the course.  No slowing down when I wanted to stop and get water.  "I just kept on runnin'" (Forest Gump).  I placed 439th out of 700.  

And I already signed up for a 4 mile run for June 19th.  

But lord have mercy, my shins hurt.

Love,

Bubbikins