Yes, girl you got this!

Cynthia Steen

Most runner stories start with something like “if you told me five years ago, I’d be doing this, I never would have believed you.” So that is how mine will start too.  One day I found myself at Three Odd Guys Brewery with a bunch of people standing outside, I asked someone, “What the heck are they doing?” “Oh, that’s the run club,” to which I responded, “but why?”

After a few weeks of watching this group, I started to see them interact with one another and the friendships they all seemed to have.  At this point in the story, I should say that I was still relatively new to Apopka, only moving in less than two years prior; and due to the pandemic, finding new friends was rather difficult.  

I will admit I did a little internet stalking; I looked the group up on Facebook, and asked Jay, the host, about a million questions. I still wasn’t sold; I knew in my heart I wasn’t a runner and (even though Jay told me I didn’t have to run) I didn’t want to be the only walker out there. Strategically, I worked out that Sunday mornings had the fewest people, so that was when I decided to take this club for a test walk; it helped that I knew Debbie would be there and she promised to walk with me.  She walked me so far and so fast, that my little legs hurt for days.  I actually enjoyed the people a lot, but it was the aftermath of 4 days of pain that I wasn’t enjoying as much.  

She walked me so far and so fast, that my little legs hurt for days.  I actually enjoyed the people a lot, but it was the aftermath of 4 days of pain that I wasn’t enjoying as much.  

Fast-forward two weeks. I decided to give it another chance: for the people and cider, I told myself I would listen to my body and turn around when I was ready, fully prepared that I might not be able to make it the entire 20 minutes out and 20 back.  I did 15 out and back. I felt so amazing and so accomplished. My body hurt, but not like that first time: it was a good hurt. 

I only went on Sundays for a few weeks; I was getting comfortable and worked up to 20 minutes out and back. Then someone asked me if I was coming on Tuesday… sure I guess… I mean, I am coming for trivia, I might as well earn a couple of those ciders.  One Tuesday night, Shelby was talking with me and stated “You’re coming Saturday morning, right?” to which I immediately replied: “Um, no, do you know how early that is?!”  Shelby kept chatting with me during trivia and, in her Shelby way, slips in that she is hosting the run and finally breaks me down to say yes to a 6:15 am Saturday morning run.  

I show up in the pitch-dark, Shelby is the only one I know; these were all different peeps from Sunday and Tuesday. While Shelby is explaining the plan, I hear 30 out and 30 back. I whisper to Shelby, “did you say 30 out and 30 back?” “Yes, girl you got this!!!”  Immediate panic ensues; I was still getting used to 20 out and 20 back.  I tell myself go as far as you can and turn around, then we were off. We get back, play a little trivia game, and as we break to head out, I hear a few people tell me they will see me next week…you don’t even know me; and probably not-this run was so early in the morning.  

Spoiler alert: I showed up the next week.

It’s somewhere in the middle of May, and I am now going to Run Club three times a week.  One Saturday morning, Erica asks me when I am going to do my first 5K.  “Who me, I’m not interested in that, I am just here to get some steps in.”  “Well, there is a good one coming up July 5th, the Watermelon 5K.”  In my head I think she has lost it, there is NO way I can do a 5K.  The next thing I know, Shelby and Debbie are trying to talk me into it.  As per my usual style, I go online and do some recon about the 5K: the course, time, cost…then I see that a participant must maintain a 16-minute mile and complete the race in an hour.  I see this as my out; there’s no way I can maintain that pace - they will have to back down.  Next Saturday comes and Shelby asks me if I thought about the Watermelon race, “yeah it says I have to be done in an hour, but I can’t do that so it’s out of the question.”  This particular Saturday, Shelby stayed with me which was unlike her-she would usually run, then run back to me and walk to the finish.  However, that sneaky little sneakerton was up to something. I went further than I ever went on Saturday and when we got back, Shelby says “That was 3.1 miles, so you just did a 5k in under an hour.  What is your next goal?” 

The thoughts of ‘can I do this,’ ‘how long does it take,’ ‘how long do I have to train for this 5k…’ wait what is happening to me? Am I becoming that person?

The thoughts of ‘can I do this,’ ‘how long does it take,’ ‘how long do I have to train for this 5k…’ wait what is happening to me? Am I becoming that person? Later that night, I am out having a few drinks with Debbie and Darryl as they try to talk me into the 5K.  As we went back and forth, Darryl and I agreed to the ‘If you do it, so will I’ bit, and all I know is, the next day I was signed up for the Watermelon 5k. To say I was scared was a complete understatement. I posted it on Facebook to convince myself it was real, and the amount of positive response I received, and the amount of people that signed up just because I did, blew me away. I might die trying, but now I’ve got to do this.  I soon found out that Run Club members were joining since this was my first race; these people hardly know me, but they are willing to sign up to support me. These truly are amazing people.

“During the race I cried, I laughed, and most of all, I lived to tell the story.”

It’s race day; goals are to finish the race in under an hour, don’t be last, and most importantly, don’t die. I was as trained as I could be; I knew I could do this, we all gather take pictures. I’m smiling, but I am a nervous wreck inside. What have I gotten myself into?  During the race I cried, I laughed, and most of all, I lived to tell the story.  As I saw the finish line, I heard my name being screamed out. I looked around and there were my Run Club peeps, cheering me on across the line.  I finished with tears in my eyes , these people took time out of their day to come out to do the 5K but then they waited to cheer me on. It meant so much to me; I knew then these were my people.  I had so much fun, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. I was the only person that doubted I could do it. 

Everyone told be about the medal you would get…I got a towel.  I was bamboozled. When I got home, my adrenaline was still going; I was tired but I couldn’t calm down enough to relax. Now I wanted a medal. I needed to find a race where there was a medal. I found one in Apopka in September…ok I’m in and that is it, no more- I’m getting a medal and moving on, back to just getting some steps in.  I get that race done and I get my first medal…I’m hooked. In total, I completed ten 5Ks in 2021.

If what I do helps inspire one person to complete a race that they never even considered being able to do, then I have returned the favor that I didn’t know I needed from the Run Club. Not saying I don’t like the medals; they’re a shiny reminder of the effort I’ve put in this year and will motivate me to do more in the future…I mean, if I’m getting up super early on a Saturday morning, I might as well get rewarded for my hard work, right?  If you need someone to join you in a 5k…and if there is a medal, I am game. Just let me know, I am happy to join in.