The gun went off and I was startled. Was it supposed to be this loud? People started going, fast, while I just kind of stood at the starting line in a cherry printed cotton tank top and gray cotton shorts. My sneakers were 2 years old, and I didn’t know it at the time, but they were ill fitting and very worn. I was the typical rookie. I had no idea what was going on, and I had no idea what was coming. As the people behind me pushed past to get going, I started my shuffle down West River Drive.

This was my first 5k, the Clean Air Council’s Run For Clean Air.

At the half way point I was out of breath. I stopped to casually chat with the water station volunteers at the turn around. Because why not! And then 45ish minutes later I was an official…