( CNN ) -- For as long as I can remember , I have wanted to be able to say , `` I 've run a 5K . '' Unfortunately , I was so out of shape , it was hard to imagine walking 5 kilometers , let alone running them . When I found out the distance of the triathlon that I was going to be competing in with Fit Nation come September -- a half-mile swim , an 18-mile bike ride and a 4-mile run -- I decided that somehow , I was going to run a 5K and then some ... and that was that . What I never imagined was that my first 5K would be held in my honor , organized by my friends and family as a surprise , right down Main Street in my hometown of Allegany , New York . The `` top secret '' planning all started right after my first Fit Nation trip to Atlanta in January . My girlfriend , Joy , enlisted the help of my children , my co-workers and my family . She picked the date , named the race , rented the space and worked out all of the major details , all without my knowledge . The day that I was told about the plans for `` Run4Wilbs , '' I had mixed emotions . I was shocked that so much had been planned without me finding out about it ; there were more than 50 people at this point that knew and they were my close friends and my family . I was overwhelmed because I do n't like to be the focus of attention , and this race was named after me so I had no choice . I was also scared that I would n't do well in the 5K itself -- there were going to be a lot of people watching if I failed . Facing your fears head on . In the beginning , the plan was to gather as many of my family , friends and community members as possible . The date of June 28 was picked because it was not only the day before my school 's graduation , it was also the last day of Old Home Week/ Fireman 's Carnival ; everyone comes back to town that weekend . As race day got closer , the event got bigger and bigger . First , we found out that my former student-athlete , Maj. Pat Miller , was planning on attending . Pat was thrust into the public eye in April when he was wounded in the Fort Hood shooting . When I received his message saying that he would be walking in my race ( he was still recovering from his third surgery ) , I was at the end of a long run . All of a sudden my exhausted legs felt lighter and stronger , and I finished with ease . The day before the big day , I was greeted by a local TV reporter from Buffalo , New York , asking for an interview . As soon as the interview was finished , we got a call from New York state Sen. Cathy Young 's office . Young was not only going to be at the race , she was presenting me with a citation for making major changes to live a healthier lifestyle and inspiring not only my family and friends but my community to do the same . Senator Young at my race ? Are you kidding ? ? We could n't have asked for a better day for the race . We got to the course at 6 a.m. to begin setting up . My family and friends started arriving about an hour later . That is when I started to realize just how big this was going to be . By 8 a.m. we had more than 200 people , there to either participate or just to show their support . When Senator Young made her presentation , by her side was New York state Assemblyman Joe Giglio . What I did n't know was that he had his running gear with him . He changed right before the race and ran with us . That blew my mind ! There were so many little details of that day that really meant a lot to me . For instance , my former high school track and field coach was contacted to be the starter of the race . So many of my colleagues came to work the race and help wherever they were needed ; more came to run or walk . To think that they we all there to support me was unbelievably overwhelming , to say the least . Fit Nation may focus on the Sassy Six -- strangers who were selected to do a single triathlon . But it 's also about making healthy changes , and inspiring our family and friends to do the same , and then taking that message to the community and beyond . I think we accomplished that with Run4Wilbs . At the end of the day , I said a lot of thank-you 's , shook many hands and gave a lot of hugs . I beat my 5K goal by over 30 seconds and decided that , based on the feedback from everyone involved ( and many who wished that they could have made it ) , Run4Wilbs is going to be an annual event . Same day , same time , same place . Save the date ! You have more to lose than pounds . Why I gave up soda .
Mike Wilber 's friends and family planned a 5 K Run honoring him . It took place on July 6 in Brooklyn , New York . Follow Mike 's journey training for a triathlon on Twitter @ TriHardMike .