Running? Really?

A my fitness level improved, so did my confidence. Over the past 5 months, I had dropped significant weight, traveled over 2300 miles on the bike, and started to branch out into other fitness activities, including a little bit of running, and a return to the basketball court. 

With my fitness level improving, I decided that my next monthly event be a 5k. This was a big deal, as just a few years earlier, I was unable to run at all due to bad knees and weak leg muscles. Now, I am by no means a runner, but, I figured that I could "figure out" 30-45 minutes of running. The event chosen was the Rahr Oktoberfest 5k (http://www.rahroktoberfest.com/). What a great event!  It starts and ends at the Rahr brewery, and as you cross the finish line, you are handed a "finisher pint" glass. 3 beers are included in the race entry.  Lindsi and I participated in this one together.  Pre-race photo:  

The date was September 29, 2012. For the most part, I felt good, although, I did have to walk .2 of a mile due to fatigue. For my 1st 5k in more than a decade, I felt pretty good. The stats:  3.17 miles in 32.51, 456 calories burned, and, most importantly, I survived.