I have been a part of the Camp Gladiator community for over 2 and 1/2 years. I never thought I would be one to get up at 5 am to get ready to work out or one to do a bunch of fitness challenges but here I am. I love being part of the community, there is always someone cheering you on, but sometimes it can also lead to questionable decisions. Back in November I was talked into running the Hot Chocolate 15k in Dallas. It started out with a group of us singing up for the 5k and then somehow morphed into all of us running the 15k.

Now, let me give you a little background about me…I am NOT a runner. I can run short distances and I have done a handful of 5k races, but running is not my thing.

As the holidays drew closer, I seriously questioned what I had gotten myself into. I had found a great balance in my training with running, camp, biking and yoga. In January my schedule started falling apart for a number of reasons. I ended up running on the treadmill a few days a week and actually did a series of running marathons with iFIT. I did get to a point where I was able to run a good distance without stopping. And I know what you are going to say, running on a treadmill is way different than running on the streets. You are correct, but the current temperatures outside were brutal and I was not going to be pushing myself in the dark in cold temps, (I can be a weather weenie sometimes and I am not ashamed to say it).

The week of the race, the weather was ideal. We had a few days in the 60’s and 70’s which was a nice break, since we had just had a freeze. I knew that it was going to be fairly cold, so I took advantage of the last day of the ice and ran outside. It was slow going in some areas, but I was able to get in a few miles and felt good with my run. The day before the race, I was at packet pickup with my mom and it was actually hot out. As I ate dinner with my parents and got ready for bed, I felt like I was in the right mindset and ready to go for the race.

Saturday Morning, I woke up and was getting ready. I had laid everything out the night before so my mind was in neutral and I was not thinking about what I was about to do. The main reason for this was the cold. Overnight another cold front had rolled and the temps had dropped. It was so cold at the race that I was afraid that I had not worn enough clothing.

I met up with my group and headed to the start line. It was so cold, but at this point I was excited and had blocked the cold from my mind. The race started and the first mile and a 1/2 was easy. It was at this point that the race course turned the corner. OMG! It was a wind tunnel and the wind chill was in the low 10’s. It felt like I was hitting a cold wall and I could barely run forward. The wind eventually died down, but man, it was not fun. I did warm up as the race went on, but that turn got me.

It was about mile 5 that we noticed that it was starting to SNOW! My race buddy and I were questioning our sanity at this point, but he stuck with me the entire way, even though I was pretty slow. We saw some characters running and some who were on the sidelines cheering us on. Shout out to the woman who said- “Everyone is jealous of you at this moment!” This hit home because I have always wished that I would have the ability and the courage to run a longer distance race.

I finished the race under my goal time, which was a plus. Had it been warmer outside, I probably could have shaved more time off. I am proud of myself for accomplishing this goal and having a great group of people supporting me. I don’t know if I am going to run this particular race again but if you get the chance to do it, the chocolate at the end is worth it alone.