Flying Solo: Running My First 5K

Welcome back to my new series called, “Flying Solo” where I will be doing things all by myself and blogging about it.

You guys, I finally did it! I ran a 5k!

This past weekend, I ran the Hot Chocolate 5k. And it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. It also wasn’t as warm as I hoped it would be - but with Chicago weather you never know. Nonetheless, I had to mentally prepare myself. And it took me three months of training. It took me three months convincing myself that I CAN do it. It took me three months to realize that while it’s nice to have someone to train with or run the actual race with, running it alone is just as worthwhile - maybe even more.

Here’s the thing - for the longest time I wanted an accountability buddy. You know, someone to keep me on track. But I learned that that person doesn’t exist. So I had to become that person. I had to keep myself in check. And that’s not always easy - trust me I know. So I constantly have to keep reminding myself that no one is going to check in with me day in and out and make sure I’m on the right path. Sure your friends, family, and significant others care about you but only you can take action towards your goals. No one will care as much as you. No one can make you do the things that you want to do.

I had to train for this thing alone. I had to find different ways to motivate myself. I had to annoy every single person who’s on my social media with running selfies. I had to continue. I had to show up. And, you guys, SO MANY people bailed on me. People said they’d train with me - they didn’t. People said they’d run the race with me - they didn’t. A friend said she’d come with me to pick up my race packet - she didn’t. Another friend said she’d drive me to the race - she didn’t.

So I trained for the race. Alone. (Minus the running group I joined a couple times that I wish I joined sooner). I picked up my race packet. Alone. And I took the train over to Grant Park and ran the race. Alone.

And guess what? I’m the best accountability partner I could ask for. In all fairness, I wasn’t alone. I mean, it was a BIG race. There were A LOT of people there. From the girl I chatted with on the train ride over to all the strangers I asked to take pictures of me, I wasn’t alone.

Plus, I got hot chocolate at the end of the race. Perfect for the freezing running weather!

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As I’ve mentioned in the past, I’m freelancing with Selz and will link some posts in exchange for a few bucks. I have to pay for this race somehow! I just want to make sure that my readers know that these are not afflicted links. I get no money if you click on the links. If I ever do something as such, I’ll always let you know. So with that said, the following posts are geared towards entrepreneurs, creatives, writers, and badass self-starters.

The Definitive Guide on How to Start a T-Shirt Business - how to start a tshirt business

7 Steps to Building an ECommerce Website - how to build an ecommerce website

8 Steps To Create And Sell An Ebook On Your Website - selling ebooks

5 Secrets to Selling Products Online Successfully - selling products online

How to Start Selling Online in 6 Simple Steps - how to start selling online

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If there’s something you really want to do, you’ll find a way. Even if you have to go at it alone. You are stronger than the people who bail on you. You are stronger than the negative voices in your head telling you that you can’t.

Have you ever ran a race? Tell me about it!

Priya's Obsession

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