Running the Race: Abbey Trails 2016

I’ve got the shoes. I’ve got the race number across my chest. But I am not a runner.

Conception Abbey’s annual 5k Run, Abbey Trails, was a chance for me to try. I have never been a runner, but always into making sure I was fit and in shape. This year in preparation for the 5k run I thought I would train a little bit. I had an idea in my head that I would run 6 days a week for 3 weeks.

I ran 2 days a week. For 2 weeks.

I had the NikeRun app, headphones, and even that armband thing that all runners have. If you can’t tell yet, I put a lot of focus into what I think a runner looks like rather than what a runner does.

This year I invited my siblings. I just had to beat my younger brother who is a junior in high school. He’s got a big head and I have to keep the older brother status. The struggle is real there now a days.

Its 8:54AM and my siblings just got into registration. So my mental preparation is already lost. Nuts.

I move them as fast as possible into the checking and we are outside a couple seconds before e the shot goes off for walkers to start. I’ve got about 30 seconds to prepare myself.

Then I realize my brother is farther ahead in the line and I still haven’t started my GoPro and BOOM! The race starts. But I know I can’t let the little setbacks get me. That’s kind of the vibe of the race the rest of the time. Sunny and beautiful and then 10 minutes into the race it started raining! Raining on what seemed to be the perfect day. This is not to mention the song that came on my headphones was “Lucky” by Jason Mraz! (very depressing for a run).

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smbC9OL_Ckk]

But I keep going. My stride is at first very long and I act like my feet are long monkey arms grabbing a couple inches of terrain every single stride and I start going faster. For about 5 minutes this was working, but I was still behind my brother.

I noticed that all the real runners started slowly passing me. It was kind of like when you know you’re driving 5 over the speed limit and everyone else is going 10 and you just keep telling yourself that you can’t do that, you can’t afford another ticket.

That was the conversation I had with my body.

And if anyone has ever run before, there is another conversation that always seems to happen with running, there’s this voice inside that starts talking to you. And all he saying is “Stop. Stop. Stop. You’ve really got to stop. This is bad.” Yeah it’s real! If you don’t believe me go run a mile right now and that voice might already awaken.

But pushing through the voice, the rain, and my stride, I found a perfect balance. I pushed and found my little steps were a lot more consistent. I gained confidence when I passed 3 people in a row and then right in front of my eyes was the blue shirt and black shorts my brother was wearing. There was at least .3 miles left, and I knew he wasn’t expecting me to speed up. I clinched my fist, threw up a sign of the cross, and took off.

22 minutes 12 seconds: Cruz Gallegos finishes.

22 minutes 33 seconds: My brother.

Abbey Trails was awesome!

Even if it rained!