We were challenged to run a 5K by Automattic (owner of WordPress.com) several weeks ago. Since February, my wife and I have been running 2-3 times a week as we prepare for a 10k in early June. Although we are both athletic and play sports here & there, we have never consistently tried “running” as a sport.
Running has become a real joy to the both of us. We enjoy being together, getting in shape together, and the sense of accomplishment when done running. We have been running anywhere from 1 to 5 miles when we go out and usually run Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
This past Tuesday, we officially ran the 5k that would count for Automattic’s challenge. We ran it at Stephens Park in Schererville, Indiana and ran it in a time of 28 minutes. That is an average of 9 minutes, 20 seconds a mile – not bad for our first official 5K!
I would challenge every married couple to “get off the couch and out of the house” and either walk together or start running together. It will give you fresh vitality and draw you closer together. After all, life is a race that is better run with someone by your side!
I would love to hear the different ways that you and/or your spouse currently exercise…leave some comments!
spiritually relevant 
Josh, that’s great! Matt and I have ran a few times together in the last month; more or less to get in shape for our Florida trip. 🙂 But I would love to run with him on a more consistent basis. We don’t both “love” to run but rather just a means to an end as in staying in shape. I hear it gets more enjoyable the more you do it though. WAY TO GO on completing your first 5K! Hugs to you, my brother!
Alisha – that is great to hear! We read somewhere that you should jog at a “pace” where you can talk comfortably while you are running. Makes it more enjoyable and you know if you are running too fast when you can’t talk due to being out of breath!
Also – we went out and purchased some really good running shoes a couple months ago. It has made a HUGE difference!
Keep it up – let us know if you end up running in a race.
I am so excited to read this post~I talked with Teya about this a while back, but I didn’t know that it had already happened! Congratulations~this is GREAT!! Matt and I are bummed, as in years past we’ve started training on January 1st for our Bloomsday run in Spokane, but this year the race landed on the weekend we are in Florida. 😦 I love that the both of you are running together. The weather has been fabulous here lately and Matt and I have been taking the girls out at night for our run. Macy rides along on her bike and we throw Bella in the jogging stroller, but she officially is riding without training wheels so now they can both ride while we run!!! CONGRATS again~this is great. What’s next, a half marathon????!!!!! 🙂
Emily – glad to hear that you and the entire family have been running! Jack and Luke just started track at school and are excited about it. Luke actually ran the 1st mile with us when we ran the 5K on Tuesday and kept up with us. The funny thing is he kept asking how far we had run and how long we had been running! He must have asked every minute or so. 🙂
I remember running on the sand in Florida – now THERE is a good workout!
Wow, that’s a pretty decent time! Congrats. I’m not a pro runner but I try to get out 3x a week for a 6k. I documented my Automattic’s 5K just this week. Keep up the great work.