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I recently ran my first 10K. Now, a 10K isn’t exactly an achievement like a marathon is an achievement, but for “Christine-Pobke-who-doesn’t-like-walking,” it was a big flippin’ deal.

To ensure that I follow through with this commitment to myself, I had two things: a hardcore training schedule (well, as hardcore as one gets training for a measly 10K); and my supportive family and friends back in Seattle who agreed to run the distance with me. :)

Training began as any type of training would: pitifully. My first run was 2.3K, which took an embarrassing 19 minutes to run (and it was hard). But on that first run in March, I discovered something within: perhaps Christine Pobke wasn’t a “walker”… perhaps, indeed, Christine Pobke was a runner! Could it be? I thought to myself as I ran two more times that week. And as pitiful and embarrassing as the distances and times were, I’m proud that I persevered, because in June I ran my first 10K in 1:02, woot!

It was amazing to have been a part of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center’s Annual Shore Run/Walk. In fact, I’m so hooked that I looked for (and found) a half-marathon to run later this year. (As I type this I still can’t believe I’m going to be running a half-marathon! Who is Christine Pobke?) :)

And so, I wanted to share some photos from my recent visit back home; starting with some post-run photos of me and the family just after the race, en route to The Original Pancake House for some carbs, carbs and more carbs. :)

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This is my beautiful mama June. My mom has the world’s best green thumbs. Yup, both her thumbs are green, and I’m sure her toes are too. She talks to her plants and allegedly, they talk back (I wish I was joking). But however crazy her methods, they seem to work because no one works a garden like this woman. No one. :)

We have some lovely cousins out in Yakima, Washington, so we went to visit them and even went to a cherry farm while out there! (The adorable dog is my parent’s 10 year old chocolate lab, Mango. Yes, I named her.) :)

These are technically my “third cousins,” or the loin fruits of my dad’s first cousin’s daughter Julie. :) The adorable big sis on the far right was my flower girl at the Pobke wedding all those years ago! How cuters are they?? I bought them all little toy cameras during my visit, and  I swear they’re all naturals… we went out to their backyard and went on a photo safari. So many good times. :)

And then my mama and I went for a girl’s day in beautiful Victoria, British Columbia. Victoria is just a short ferry ride (about three hours) from Seattle, so we got up super early on Friday morning, caught the 7am clipper, and spent the day walking around this gorgeous coastal city. We went to a tea house dedicated to the royals, walked around Chinatown, went shopping downtown, walked through alleyways and doorways, discovered delicious fish and chips, and even met some strangers! :) I really need to go back again someday… Victoria is absolutely breathtaking.

[For the fellow camera geeks, all of the above images were photographed with the Contax 645, on Portra 400 film]

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