Well, this was it. My first event since June (not counting the virtual run I did a couple weeks ago).I actually woke up this morning without any vertigo symptoms. That alone is a miracle. Everyday I seem to wake up with a little light headedness, but it eventually goes away and then it will come and go through the day. It truly is annoying. Yesterday was specifically bad. I even had to miss out on a party I was looking forward to going to and wound up in bed at 7pm.
But this morning was different. I woke up feeling awesome, which is a good thing considering I had to get up at 5am. My cousin picked me up at 6am and we headed into the city where we took a shuttle bus to the start line.
There were 5500 people in the 5K and 10,000 in the 10K. I have never been in a race with so many people! I'm not the biggest fan of crowds but I figured the crowd would eventually spread out once we got started. There were no corrals so all the 5K runners AND walkers started together. the 10K people began an hour after us.
The first mile was amazing. I think it helped that most of the course is downhill which is new to me. I usually wind up doing events where everything is uphill, so this was a nice change. I ran the entire first mile. I have never been able to run an entire mile, so I thought I'd do great.
Then came mile 2
This was when it all changed. I started having a panic attack. I used to have them all throughout my childhood but haven't had one since the 90s. My only explanation is that I am not used to being surrounded by so many people. The crowd did not spread out as expected because the roads we were on weren't that wide, and with runners/walkers mingling together you had to do a ton of zig zagging around people while trying to avoid potholes and not running into people. I think it just threw me for a loop.
I would up having to power walk the last two miles. I didn't stop for fear that I'd pass out so that kept me going. Near the end of the race I heard someone cheering for me. I didn't expect that at all. Turns out it as a former professor of mine. She is also a runner and was cheering on everyone. It was nice to hear someone cheering for me even if I was power walking! I know I was having a panic attack and not a case of vertigo because once I crossed the finish line and was able to get some space, it went away. Bummer.
Then I got my second wind and wanted to do it again, LOL
I ran into the trainer who was training the running group I had joined, but then had to back out of when my vertigo started...he was really glad to see that I still ran the race! I told him to expect to see me in the running group next year!
So, today I didn't do as great as I expected, but we all have ups and downs. We all have bad races. It happens. I look at the good things:
1. Even with no training, I still tried. Someone people wold have said "no way, I'll try it next year." Not me. I wanted to push myself and see what I could do.
2. I've been struggling with vertigo for 2 months. It's been a tiring, scary 2 months full of doctor visits and medical tests and just trying to find the energy to get through the day. So the fact that I felt really awesome today and was able to do a 5K, just amazes me.
3. I had lost my passion for working out. That's what happens when you get sidelined for 2 months. But today, being surrounded by all those runners/walkers and being able to do it with my cousin and a friend and knowing that I had other friends out there somewhere, running the 5k or 10k, really motivated me to want to get back to some training. I think I am going to begin Couch to 5K again and see what happens.
After the race, I went with a friend to see a series of one-act plays at the Pittsburgh New Works Festival and then went to a cast party afterward...still without having any vertigo attacks. Phew! I hope this is a sign of good things to come. :)
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