First 5K!

This past Saturday I ran in my first 5k race!  An exciting culmination to my summer-long journey toward becoming a runner.

Even when I was swimming competitively 4-5 days per week back in high school, running was a struggle for me.  But in May I decided it was time for a new challenge, and I started the Couch to 5K program.  It started out with easy run-walk intervals, gradually increasing the running portions until you are able to run for 30 minutes straight.

I chose the 5k associated with the Baltimore Running Festival as my first race, admittedly mostly because of the Under Armour premium, but also because it seemed like just a fun celebration.   The route began and ended near Camden Yards, with an inspiring finish through the stadium down Eutaw street.  It was very crowded — almost 3,000 runners — but the energy was high and I had an awesome time!

I am still very much a beginner — I hesitate to even call myself a runner.
My goals for my first race were to run the entire thing and finish in under 40 minutes.  I met each goal, with 6 minutes to spare!

Now I just need to decide what is next — I have my sights on a triathlon some day, since I’m more comfortable swimming and biking anyway — but now that the weather is getting colder and the days are getting shorter, I need to figure out a plan to keep me motivated to run.  Have any of you had any success with a particular 10k (or more) training program for beginners?  All suggestions are welcome!

-R