The Hawkins Family: Running

Well, I would really like to take a minute to share my new passion! Yes, I know... I have a new passion every week. But, this is really one that has stuck! I started running back in May. A friend of mine was talking about the C25K app on her Iphone. I researched the app and found a comparable one for my Android phone. The plan is to learn to run a 5K over the course of 9 weeks. It starts you out by running 60 seconds intervals then walking. It progresses slowly over the weeks until you are running a 5K! I really enjoyed the program and the challenge! If you are thinking of picking up running for your exercise, I highly recommend the RunDouble app. It has a variety of settings. You can run time or distance. It also has a 10K training program too, as well as free runs! It will tell you how fast you're running and track your distance! I recently started the C25K over to learn to run while pushing Kennedy in the stroller! I can now run 5K with Kennedy in 36 mins! I have only been able to participate in one race, however I would really like to be able to participate in more.

The race I participated in was the Twilight 10K at Callaway Gardens. Mom, Niece and Melissa were also going to participate. They decided to walk it. We all trained together for several months. Every Sunday we met together and walked. The 10K was awesome! I loved everything about the race. The adrenaline, the nerves... it was amazing! I also enjoyed being with the people I love! We decided to make a whole weekend of it and get a hotel room, eat out dinner, enjoy the spa and lodge and just relax! It was awesome! We headed to Callaway early and got checked into our room. We headed to the race start to get our numbers. We were definitely all very nervous! The course was described on the website as flat and fast. And easy course. Well, let me go ahead and say that if that was easy, flat and fast... I sure would hate to see the challenging one... The hills we climbed throughout the 6.2 mile course were gruelling. And even though it was November.... the sun and heat of Georgia seemed to have forgotten. Unfortunately, I ran the race in 80 degree temps. After it was all said and done, I managed to cross the finish line in 1:10. I was very happy with this number considering the heat/hills and that it was my first race! I was 11th in my age division (out of 34). I was a little "concerned" about Mom. She has been training for months, but we had no idea of the hills! I cooled down a bit, and then heard my sweet friend/former principal's name called through the finish line! So I found her and we headed back into the course to find and encourage Mom. We were so excited to see her finishing up that 6th mile! I had no idea that she had it in her! With her arthritis and bad knees, I didn't know if she would finish. They told us that if anyone didn't finish within 2 hours, the Trolley would come pick them up and take them to the finish line. Mom did NOT want that trolley to pick her up! She was determined! Upon finding her, we also discovered that God had sent her an angel along the way. She met a lady about the same age as her, about the same speed as her and they walked together! They encouraged each other and crossed the finish line together! She was truly a God send!

We finished the evening in the hot tub, followed by a fantastic dinner at Callaway's finest dining, The Gardens Restaurant. I devoured the most delicious New York Strip ever! After dinner, we drug ourselves to bed. After a good nights sleep, we got up, hit the hot tub and checked out. We visited the Butterfly Center, ate lunch at the Discovery Center and headed back home! I had a wonderful time! And this just fueled my passion for running even more!