exercise?

I'm always being asked if I work out. Not that I look like I work out necessarily, but people like my doctor, husband, ob-gyn, you know, people who want to know about my general state of well-being. The answer has always been, "I have four little boys to chase after so I think that is exercise enough!" Not many people want to debate that point further. Well, the competitive edge in me has decided that I need to run in a 5k with my in-laws. When I challenged everyone after my brother and sister-in-law ran one in under 30 minutes and reported it on the family website, I hadn't stepped foot on the treadmill in well over a year. Thirty minutes sounded like TONS of time to run a 5k. How far was a 5k anyway? It didn't sound like a challenge that I couldn't handle with a few extra minutes to train every day. That was before I took my first practice session on the dreaded treadmill. 16 1/2 minutes and a very out of breath, red-faced, body hurting session later, I had completed my first mile. No, I didn't run the whole thing but at least I finished without having a heart attack. It's been about three weeks now and I am down to a 13 minute mile (I know they averaged less than a 10 minute mile and if I'm going to win I need to pick it up!) and today I am proud to say I added another lap to my workout. So only 7 more laps to go until I can say I've just about completed a 5k. The problem is the race is on the 27 of October. Not much time left but hopefully I'll pull it together and get it done. I've almost resigned myself to the fact I won't be running the entire length of the 5k and I'm no longer "in it to win it." I'm just going to be happy if I can finish in a respectable time and not have to all the EMT's to bring the oxygen. Wish me luck. And yes, chasing after four little boys IS exercise enough! I think the added exercise is literally going to KILL me but until it does, I can't admit defeat.