expanding outdoors: running a first 5k (at 35) with jen floyd

Jen running the Turkey Trot | Nov 2010

For many late-blooming athletes, the 5K is like the gate-way drug for athletics. It’s a 3.1-mile pool we dip that first toe in, seeing if it’s actually possible for “us” to achieve. And pretty soon, before we’re even aware of what’s happened, we’re hooked.

For Jen Floyd, running a 5K was that first step. Coming to us from Bend, OR, Jen talks to us about the moment she decided she didn’t just want a party for her 35th birthday. She wanted more. She wanted her body back. So she signed up for a 5K that happened to be over her birthday weekend, gathered some friends around her and began to train.

She describes herself as “new to running,” claiming she doesn’t even like running all that much. But she successfully finished her birthday 5K, and has been running ever since.

Of course (as a late-blooming athlete myself who also started with a 5K), I wanted to know what got Jen motivated. How she stayed with it and how, if she doesn’t love running, is she still getting out there?

I met Jen via twitter (an awesome story for another time) and she’s just as cool and awesome over the phone as she is on twitter. She’s a wife and a mom, an active community member (organizer with Ignite Bend) who works full time. I think her story is awesome and one I believe a lot of you will relate to.

Her story is about getting older and suddenly realizing that you’re not in the shape you were in during your 20s. That somehow, the numbers on the scale crept up without you really noticing. And then one day you decide to do something daring (bungee jumping) and are faced with a you that you don’t recognize.

So she decided it was time to make a change.

the backstory

Hi Jen. Thanks so much for agreeing to be interviewed. Can you tell us how the idea to run a 5K for your 35th birthday came about?

the zipline | Aug 2008

To celebrate my husband’s birthday we took a family trip to the Mt. Hood Adventure Park. It’s one of those places with alpine slides, zip lines and other similar activities during the summer (and a ski area during the winter). My husband decided that the two of us should bungee jump. I agreed.

When they weighed me for the harness fitting, it was pretty humbling, and then they gave me the equivalent to the “fat person bungee.” (At least I wasn’t OVER the weight limit, I guess?) When we were up on the tower waiting to jump, they checked our weight again and I was “too heavy” to go off the normal side. Hello, embarrassing!

The final straw was when we looked through the photos for the day. I found one of me on the zip line, and I just didn’t like the way my body looked. When I was younger I had a fast metabolism so my mental image of myself is fairly small, and this was really the first time I saw a picture that clearly illustrated that the image in my mind was WAY off.

I know I needed to change something.

I tried a few things right away that didn’t work for me, including “fitness walking” and boot camp. They walking didn’t help at all and boot camp was just not my style.

One day my stepdaughter brought home a flyer for a program called, Girls on the Run and I noticed that the goal race was the weekend of my birthday. At first I thought we might train and run together but she wasn’t up for it. I decided to go ahead and run it anyway with friends.

It came at a time when I was reevaluating what I wanted to do, so it gave me an impetus to try. I put a call out to some people via twitter and my blog. I had a preconceived notion of who would respond. (I knew if I was going to have to do it on my own, I would do it. It was scary.)

It really surprised me who was interested. You know your friends, but you don’t always know everything about them. And it’s great to have the support of experiencing something together. You can say, “was that hard for you?” and they’ll tell you, “yeah, that was hard. You?”

My husband and I stumbled on a Girls on the Run race when we were in Cincinnati recently. It’s amazing event.

Yeah, I wish there was something like that when I was growing up. Boys are different than girls and girls train differently. It’s really neat to be in a position to inspire these kids to do something they never thought they could do. And the mentorship aspect is so important. I’m looking forward to working with this organization more in the future.

You mention in one of your blog posts that you used to run in high school and college, so running wasn’t entirely new for you. Can you talk a little more about those experiences and maybe share with us why you stopped running?

High School graduation at 99 lbs

During middle and high school my next door neighbors were really “into” running. I was friends with one of their daughters and ran mostly so I could hang out with her. I even tried the cross country team but I was just too slow and more of a “run-walker.”

Back then there was more pressure to run further and faster, even at a young age. I was getting injured frequently. At some point it just stopped being fun and I didn’t feel like I was any good at it, so I stopped in favor of activities I enjoyed more and felt more successful participating in.

Can you describe what life was like before you started running in terms of outdoor activities, interests and routines?

I enjoyed hiking but struggled with distance and elevation gain. Most of the camping was done out of the car. I played golf occasionally with my husband (he’s an avid golfer).

My job is pretty sedentary (there’s a lot of sitting around and staring at a computer screen). Every once in awhile when I was “feeling tough” and the weather was nice I’d ride my bike, but felt it was “too far” and “too much effort” to ride to work, so it was just casual.

I also like to read, quilt and hang out with my family. And I like to cook and bake and enjoy good food both at home and out at a restaurant.

Have you noticed a difference in some of the other outdoor sports and activities you enjoy since starting to run?

Yes. Along with running and biking (both casual and commuting now), I enjoy cross country skiing, hiking, backpacking, swimming and occasionally golf.

I think my ability to do more and play for longer has definitely been extended. And there’s a willingness to take risks. Sometimes I’ll actually play 18 holes of golf with my husband. My endurance has definitely come up a lot.

building a tribe

Jen's tribe at the High Desert Dash | September 2010

So let’s shift gears for a moment and talk about your 5K training and especially how you built such an amazing community of friends who now run with you. Tell me more about your support system.

Friends! I’m really lucky to have some friends who were willing to join me for that first event. Since then my “running circle” has expanded and I can usually find someone willing to run with me. I’m a social runner, so usually only go if there’s someone else waiting for me. But from time to time I do run solo.

There are also two running shops and a running club in Bend that offer many social running events each month for free.

That’s so awesome to hear. A lot of my readers struggle to get started and are afraid to run alone. How did you hear about the running clubs and are there specific things you did that helped your own running circle expand?

High Desert Dash

We made a facebook group so we could keep in touch. It was a safe and controlled way to shout out to the group that you wanted to go on a run and did anyone want to join.

There were also email newsletters from the various shops around town and I just read those to find out the monthly events. There are a lot of rabbits in the more formal groups, and it’s nice to know someone there will be at your pace.

You mentioned every once in a while you’ll run alone. Are there any that stand out for you?

Sure. One of the running clubs did a full moon club. I wasn’t sure about going, but found out a few friends were, so showed up. They tried to run slower for me, but I told them to go on ahead and I ended up running alone in the full moon in the snow.

In my mind I had the idea that I didn’t want to be alone, but I’m really glad I did. It was really beautiful and I actually preferred not being with the group. Most of the runners wore head lamps and weren’t trusting their feet. I was far enough behind and could appreciate the light the moon provided.

That sounds absolutely brilliant. What a wonderful experience! So tell me about the training schedule you used for that first 5K.

For the 5K I followed the Couch to 5K program.

the finish line

Can you describe your feelings when you crossed the finish line for that first 5K?

the Pacific Crest finish line

Relief. Frustration. (That event was too big for my “first.”) But I also felt a lot of pride for setting a goal and achieving it.

In what way did you feel that race was “too big.”

It was the Pacific Crest Sports Festival. It was my first “big” event and none of us really knew how to run a 5K and how to get organized at the start and it was big. We didn’t know the process, there were thousands of people. We ended up behind strollers that wouldn’t move and for the first 1/4 mile, dodged and ran around bushes trying to get around these guys (getting cuts on my legs from the bushes in the process).

It wasn’t how I wanted to start and I didn’t feel successful.

You mentioned you have kids. A lot of my readers struggle with making time to workout with busy family lives. How do you make the time?

My kids are older (12, 15, 16) so I can leave them to run. In fact, they often watch kids for my running buddies. They’ve also learned that I’m happier when I get my run or another workout in.

You’ve mentioned before that you don’t particularly like running. So how do you stay motivated (and more importantly, why are you still running)?

It’s efficient! I can manage my weight and fitness with a shorter time commitment and less money.

I think the results are a really big motivator. That and my friends. I wouldn’t have stuck with it if I didn’t have a really strong support system.

If you don’t show up, people hold you accountable for it. It’s such a diverse group of folks. Everyone is from all walks of life and it’s often the only chance I get to see them. I enjoy being around them.

moving through the challenge

What has been the most surprising experience for you?

Pacific Crest Start | June 2009

The challenge. But also the ease of fitting running into my routine. And how easy it’s been to find running buddies—almost an overabundance! Even though I don’t love it, that if I don’t run for three or four days, I start to miss it.

What about it do you find challenging?

Everything. The whole getting-into-clothes-that-weren’t-flattering at first (it’s a little better now). It hurts! All the little achy things you work through. You learn about your body. You still have to fight through your body. Do I run or not run? When it’s cold, do I wear a balaclava? It hurts my chest, but will it kill me? No. Will I feel better? Probably.

The first step out the door is hard, but I feel good when I’m done.

It’s more about looking at the end of that run. I know I’ll feel better when I’m done and I can check off that box, “I went for a run.”

What motivates you?

My jeans. I don’t want to outgrow them. I bought more expensive, smaller ones. If I don’t exercise, I won’t be able to wear them.

What inspires you?

That harness. That full body harness that makes me look so awful. I have a picture that I look at. For me, it definitely made me uncomfortable.

What’s next?

If someone told me two years ago that I’d be training for a half marathon, I’d be like, “yeah, right.” I’m training for a half marathon.

I’m surprised at how quickly my fitness level changed. The original plan was a 5K this year, then a 10K next and maybe by 40 I’d run a half. I’m three years ahead of schedule.

What advice would you give to someone just starting out?

Don’t be afraid. Find friend-friends to help you out. Don’t try to do it alone. Don’t start out too fast. Stay with your small group and do your thing.

And drink a lot of water. Drink so much you’re going to think you’re going to float away.

thank you

Jen, thank you so much for sharing your story with us today. If y’all want to hear more, you can follow her on twitter, visit her blog or check out her IgniteBend 3 speech (her segment begins around 21:40).

welcome

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