Walking with a focus has become my main objective as I continue to push myself towards greatness. It has helped me develop endurance, confidence, and self-awareness. The discipline has a direct correlation to my appearance as well as my writing. Each month I participate in a 5K race to track my improvements and challenge myself. This month I was on the starting line for the Aloha to Cancer 5K walk/run. Let me share how my third 5k race of 2025 panned out.
The race was held in Tribble Mill Park in Lawrenceville, GA. It’s a beautiful park with a lake in the center. It was a balmy 72 degrees upon arrival at the start of the race. The weather did call for a rain shower later in the morning. It did sprinkle about 20 minutes into the first leg of the course. I was excited and timid simultaneously due to the soupy air quality.
Hilly terrain was the order of the day. Most of the course was a rolling motion with inclines and declines at every turn. My third 5K race of 2025 was the most challenging because it was not a linear flat route. I have to admit I was breathing hard enough to be mistaken for an asthmatic who forgot her pump in the car. Of course, when I could hear myself wheezing that was my signal to forget the jogging part, and focus on catching my breath to finish the walk.
My motivation is always to finish the 5k race above last place. Consistently, I have to say that I have met this low-level personal challenge each time. You can say what you want, but I don’t see too many folks in my circle getting up at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday to participate in a 5K run. I’ll raise my goal post as I continue. For now, I’m completely happy with my progress.
Here is how I finished in the Aloha to Cancer 5K walk/run race. I placed 92nd out of 110 participants. My pace was 20:21. Ten minutes quicker than my last race and one minute slower than my first race. I know for the avid runner/jogger my numbers are abysmal but you’ve got to start somewhere. Hopefully, by the time I get to the fall, I finish within the first heat and my pace will be closer to twelve minutes. I look at it as my third 5k race of 2025 numbers as a stepping stone towards shaping my future running ability.