#5kMay2019 Day 1 (BLOG)

Here we go! It’s time for another epic round of #5kMay!

Just being honest, I have not been feeling it, lately. I injured myself last year around this time (actually late April) and hobbled through #5kMay2018 pretending and telling myself that I was NOT injured.

But… I was. So there’s that.

I have spent a LOT of time and energy rehabbing my injury and building my endurance back up. It was going really great until I recently spent 12 days in Israel with my beautiful bride. To be fair, I wouldn’t trade my trip to Israel for the world, but it did do a number on my running.

I was getting 40-50+ miles per week, with some 20+ mile long runs sprinkled in there prior to my Israel trip. Last week I think I had a total of 12 miles.

#NotWinning.

So… it is with great excitement that I am jumping headfirst into #5kMay2019! I am SO EXCITED for all of the people who are joining me on this journey. Or maybe it is more accurate to say that I feel blessed to be able to join all of YOU who signed up for #5kMay2019 this year! We have over 150 participants. I won’t know the actual number for a couple of days, yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we are actually closer to 200 participants this year. How cool is that?

One thing that we are adding to help enhance the challenge this year is an audio podcast. Each day there will be a podcast uploaded to the webpage to help you on your journey. The podcast will include songs that I have recorded throughout the year, encouragement for your daily walk / run, our daily three chapters of scripture read for your listening pleasure, and a little bit of commentary from each of the chapters!

Check out the Day One podcast here, or click on the play button below.

You can also download the helpful #5kMay2019 chart here.

With today being the first day of the challenge, it only seemed right to start with a bang and be a slight overachiever. I ran 6.2 miles with the weekly Wednesday night Vertical Runner of Wooster Running Club. I ran at a 7:48 per mile overall pace for a total of 48 minutes and 25 seconds. It was a nice, humid run. If you are local, and looking for a group to connect with on Wednesday nights, come join us!

Today’s Bible reading was Matthew 1-3. Reading through these chapters today reminded me of the reality of the historical Jesus.

Jesus was a real, living, historic figure! I think sometimes, as we consider all that Jesus said and did (especially considering the fact that He died on a cross for the sins of the world and rose from the grave to prove that His sacrifice was sufficient payment) we can begin to feel like the stories contained within the gospels are simply too good to be true. I understand that tendency completely! The reality, thankfully, is that the stories contained within the gospels are so good AND true!