Gotta Run!!

Written by
Alissa
World Champion LumberJill
​Founder & Owner of the Axe Women Loggers of Maine

Back in the late spring / early summer when I shared the blog about taking up jogging (you can read it here) I promised to let you all know how it progressed. My goals were to get a little healthier and hopefully run a 5K by fall. 
I hadn't run since back when I was on my high school track & field team (and I ran as little as possible then! ).... I turned 40 this year... so, you can safely say it's been a while!!
Mike had been suggesting that I start jogging with him for a few years now... but since I hadn't done it for over twenty years, I didn't believe I could...

​We started slowly, in the spring... jogging maybe a half a mile each morning. I was so proud when I reached my mini goal of making it to an entire mile! 
It was fun to watch my fitness level progress! It wasn't long before my breathing was getting better (I've struggled with asthma my whole life... and get winded super easy!) and I was waking up each morning really looking forward to our new morning routine... wake up, run, come home, make a healthy protein shake, and get to work! I noticed my energy level increasing... and just felt overall "good!!!" I was motivated to get up and going earlier than ever before! 
As the summer went on, our runs continued to get a little bit longer. Peter PlottHound even started jogging with us most mornings! We were able to see a change in his fitness level right away... and he really seems to enjoy running with us! It only took him about two mornings to figure out that jogging was jogging and not his usual sniff everything along the way walk. And he was just fine waiting until our cool down walk to start his sniffing! 
My big goal that I had set pretty early on was to attempt a 5K... and be able to run the entire way. 
Unfortunately, being 2020 and all, every 5K that I knew of was canceled! But... several races switched things up and went "virtual!" Which was great for us! 
New England Lab Rescue, who originally rescued Pete from down south, hosted their very first 5K fundraising race this year! It was such a great idea! Several family members and friends sponsored Team AxeWomen and we quickly reached our fundraising goal! It was perfect... we got to donate and raise money to save pups in need and they provided exactly what I needed to reach my goal of running a 5K!
Since it was a virtual race, we could run it anywhere we wanted. We could track our times and distance on our FitBits, and then simply submit our info and photos to the race website. 
We found the perfect place to run our 5K... a one mile long, private, dirt road. A 5K is 3.1 miles. So, just slightly more than three times back and forth on this road was all we needed! Unfortunately, the day of our 5K Peter PlottHound couldn't join us as planned... he had needed five teeth pulled just two days before (3 molars and 2 front teeth!) and wasn't feeling up to it. So, he waited at the end with his Grandpa (my Dad) for us. 
We double checked the distance, put on our FitBits, I put on my favorite Spandits (my most favorite running pants ever!!), laced up our sneakers and went for it!! 
I am proud to say that I successfully ran the entire 5K!! And really enjoyed it! Mike made it fun and encouraged me the whole time. 
Pete got to join us for the cool down walk and photos afterwards! 
I actually feel like a real jogger now! Definitely looking forward to our next 5K!