Well…
I did it! I finished the Rock ‘N Sole Summerfest 5K without stopping! I still can’t believe I ran my first 5K race. I’ve come a long way that’s for sure. Let start at the beginning of the day!
All following photos taken via Instagram. Follow me @brittneybreathing!
The alarm was set for the early morning hour of 5:15. I ended up waking up around 5:30 to start getting ready. I’m not gonna lie, I had the nervous stomach feeling but Ryan kept reassuring me that it would be fine.
Peanut butter toast seemed like a good, safe option for race day. Ironically, I had never ran early in the morning, so I was hoping this would sit well in my stomach.
Officially official! Please note my emergency contact name (aka Ryan) is spelled wrong. Womp.
We left the house around 6:15 because we weren’t sure how traffic would be. The 5K race started right after the quarter & half marathoners at 7:20 and I wanted plenty of time to park and walk to the start of the race. Thankfully, traffic and parking wasn’t too bad so we got there in plenty of time.
Ready to tackle the race! I wasn’t really nervous about not being able to finish. I had no time that I wanted to finish in, I just wanted to finish without stopping. I made a deal with Ryan that if I asked him to stop, to push me to keep going. If I asked him as second time, to ask me if I was sure. I really didn’t want to stop but I also had no idea how I would feel during the race and wanted to prepare myself to be okay if I did need to stop.
Unfortunately, I didn’t bring my phone with me during the race, so I didn’t get any cool pictures running over the Hone Bridge but it somewhat resembled this:
The first mile was by far, the hardest. I’m very glad I did most of my training outside because if I would have strictly trained on the treadmill I would have not been used to going up hills (I realize I could increase the incline but I know myself and I probably wouldn’t have done that 
). The first mile was a slow incline up the bridge. It was not enjoyable. I mean, it definitely wasn’t the worst thing ever but I was expecting the first mile to be the easiest! I started having doubts about my ability to be able to finish without walking. Ryan and I barely talked during the first mile. I told him I wanted to get to the end of the bridge before considering stopping.
Once we got to the end of the bridge, mile 1 was complete and it was a lot easier to go back. We started talking more about random things. Having a distraction was nice and ironically…this was our first time running together ever! I realize why people like having running buddies
Mile 2 flew by. There was one water station at mile 2 which was nice but I had trained without drinking water so I knew I would be okay. I grabbed some anyways because I didn’t have to stop but only drank a little.
Mile 3 was probably my favorite. There were more and more spectators cheering us on and the last mile went through the Summerfest grounds. I started thinking of how far I have come from basically being a coach potato to running in a race. I never, ever imagined running in a race in my entire life and even though this was a measly 5K it meant a lot to me.
The last 500 yards or so I booked it to the finish line. I said out loud “Okay, let’s do this” giving Ryan the hint that I was going to go fast but he didn’t hear me…so I ended up beating him by a second! Ha.
I ended up finishing in 38:42, which I’m totally fine with. I really had no goal of time so I’m happy. I know this is a lot slower than some people (read: most) but hey…gotta start somewhere right?!
Reppin’ that medal! We sticked around for a bit but ended up leaving pretty quickly after finishing to get back to our car. Our next stop was The Comet.
We saw The Comet on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives right before moving to Wisconsin last year. It looked like our type of place and this was our first chance to get there.
My kind of place! There was already a line when we got there (it wasn’t open yet) which said it was a good place to be to me!
Of course, I had to get a celebratory drink:
Their specialty Bloody Mary (with a piece of bacon, of course) and a beer chaser.
The Comet version of Eggs Benedict with a side of hash browns. Anytime I go to a breakfast or brunch place and they have eggs benedict, I almost always get it. This version topped the top of my list! Most of the ham was left behind, but everything was very delicious!
Since we were already halfway there, we decided to head to Trader Joe’s. I wish Trader Joe’s was closer to us but alas, it isn’t and takes about 30-35 minutes to get there so we only go occasionally.
And then this was purchased.
Ugh. Someone, help! This taste exactly like crushed up Teddy Grahams. Why must this delicious concoction exist?!
Question: Have you ever tried Cookie Butter? Do you remember your first race?
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Congratulations! I’m so jealous of your Comet trip. I’ve been there a few times for lunch. (I wonder if they serve eggs benedict during the lunch hour
Thanks! I think they only serve brunch items on Saturdays & Sundays until 3 pm. We’d be up for going again
I’m so proud of you! I remember my first 5K…it was such a great feeling to finish without walking! Go you!!
Yay! Thanks Nicole. We need to set up another lunch date!
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