Twelve 5Ks in 12 months – On the Path to Better Fitness

When setting a New Year’s Resolution for 2018, Rema Rhone, Payroll Manager, Fort Worth, proposed a bold goal of completing at least one 5K every month for the whole year.

“I wanted to get some exercise, have an obtainable goal and challenge others in the office to join me,” Rema says.

Sometimes it’s best to have a buddy to keep you on track for the duration.

“Rema’s resolution fit well with my personal health goals, so we committed to doing these races together,” says Mary Martin, Marketing, Fort Worth.

In addition to encouraging each other, both invited friends and family members to join them. For Joe’s Run in June, they assembled a group of 10 participants, who braved the summer heat together for a 5K benefitting the Samaritan House for the homeless. Other charitable causes benefitting from the races included childhood cancer research, heart health, suicide prevention, prostate cancer research and the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge.

No matter the extreme temperatures and weather conditions, Rema and Mary kept advancing toward their goal.

“It wasn’t always easy getting up early for a race, since I’m such a night owl,” Rema admits.

She accomplished some races with only three hours of sleep.

“I was always trying to beat my personal best for each race,” says Mary, noting that she improved her personal best time by 10 minutes over the course of the year.

In embracing this new activity, Mary signed up for additional races beyond their initial commitment.

“I actually completed 21 races in 2018 and earned a first-place medal for my age category in November.”

Both Rema and Mary are excited to continue their commitment to better health in the new year, possibly adding a 10K to the mix. They encourage others who are interested to join them.

“The celebratory atmosphere at most of these races is a blast. It motivates me to do more,” says Mary.

  

Completed 5Ks for 2018

  1. ​January 26 – Run with Heart, Mansfield
  2. February 24 – Cowtown 5K, Fort Worth
  3. March 17 – Pickle Run, Mansfield
  4. April 7 – Fort Worth Zoo Run 5K
  5. May 12 – Buffalo Boogie 5K, Fort Worth
  6. June 2 – Joe’s Run, Fort Worth
  7. July 7 – Some Like It Hot, Trinity Park, Fort Worth
  8. August 18 – Brooke Hester Hustle, Kennedale
  9. September 8 – Run for Life, Fort Worth
  10. October 6 – Zero Prostate Cancer 5K, Fort Worth
  11. November 22 – Turkey Trot, Arlington
  12. December 15 – Some Like It Cold, Trinity Park, Fort Worth