Day 11: Fun! Run?

For those of you who may not know me that well, I am not very athletic. At all. I once prided myself on using an elliptical machine for 15 minutes. I own shirts that say "Running Sucks" and "I Hate Running" to let the world know just how much I dislike it.

For years, Cole has tried to get me into running. It's something he enjoys, and he's voiced that he would like to enjoy it with me. We've been running together a few times (ok, once), and it's always ended in me whining or crying or yelling the whole time.

Cole has run in several races as both an individual and as part of a team. Before meeting Cole, the only time I ever ran was as part of my PE classes. So, after years of me saying, "I'd like to do a 5k someday," Cole decided that today would be the day, and that we would enjoy this experience together. Weeks ago, Cole signed us up for my first ever 5k and his first ever fun run. Enter: Color in Motion.

We were among hundreds of people who showed up at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, to partake in this "fun" run. Individuals, friends, families, and couples were hit with a colored cornstarch mixture as they ran 3.1 miles. 


Cole kept it fun, encouraging me the whole way. He urged me to run for as long as I could, and stopped for breaks when I needed it (which, to be honest, was often). As we crossed the finish line together, I felt such a sense of accomplishment. 




I don't know how many more 5k races are in our future, but I do know that we grew together over the course of those 46+ minutes.