My first 10K in the bag!
So. I did it!
My first 10K in the bag.
It was not easy, especially given that I did NO training and in fact, have lost significant fitness since I stopped working out regularly in mid-September.
It was a downhill start and they were warning people to take it slow so as not to run into people or fall and I can see why. I saw one young girl trip pretty badly (though she picked herself right up and kept going). I took it super easy at first knowing I needed to conserve my energy. I ran by the first mile marker at about 12-something and the second one at 24-something. I was not feeling great "running" at a 12-min/mile pace. Over the summer, I was doing more like 10-10:30 pace. But, my goal for the day was to finish and I didn't want to burn out.
I ran by the 3-mile marker at 36-something and felt really discouraged. Then something truly bizarre happened. At mile 4, I got a burst of energy. I ran by it at 48-something and picked up the pace. I had been eyeing a woman up ahead of me in a red shirt. She'd been up ahead of me - at about the same distance - for most of the race. Suddenly, she was much closer. I picked it up even more and started to really close the gap. Then I passed her, and several others. I ran by mile 5 at 57-something - less than 10 minutes after passing mile 4. I kept up at a good pace until about mile 5.5 and then I started really hurting - literally.
My feet were killing me. My arches and toes ached like someone had been beating them with a hammer. I tried to keep up the pace, but I just didn't have it in me. Also? The last of four hills lay in front of me. I walked half of it. But then saw the mile 6 marker up ahead and ran by and could see the finish line and that was great! My time was 1:12:41, which is NOT great, but given everything - I'm satisfied.
I went there today thinking I'd have to walk about half the race and in reality I only walked twice - both on hills (there were four hills over all). I also should note that I stopped (not slowed down, but STOPPED) at each water station. So really? This time is not bad at all and had not gotten mono and had I not had to work away the entire month of October, this probably *would* have been done at my normal 10 -10:30 pace.
I'm happy I went. It would have been super easy to have blown it off. It gives me some confidence back (which has been sorely missing lately) and it gives me a benchmark to improve upon.
All good stuff!
* * *
I do have to add that I've had a little bit of marathon fever lately. Sort of turning it around in my head wondering, "Hmmm? Could I? Should I?" When I ran across that finish line yesterday, one of my first thoughts was, "Holy crap, this isn't even 1/4 of a marathon. If this were a marathon, I'd have TWENTY more miles to run." Which is incredibly daunting. Of course, training helps. :-)
My first 10K in the bag.
It was not easy, especially given that I did NO training and in fact, have lost significant fitness since I stopped working out regularly in mid-September.
It was a downhill start and they were warning people to take it slow so as not to run into people or fall and I can see why. I saw one young girl trip pretty badly (though she picked herself right up and kept going). I took it super easy at first knowing I needed to conserve my energy. I ran by the first mile marker at about 12-something and the second one at 24-something. I was not feeling great "running" at a 12-min/mile pace. Over the summer, I was doing more like 10-10:30 pace. But, my goal for the day was to finish and I didn't want to burn out.
I ran by the 3-mile marker at 36-something and felt really discouraged. Then something truly bizarre happened. At mile 4, I got a burst of energy. I ran by it at 48-something and picked up the pace. I had been eyeing a woman up ahead of me in a red shirt. She'd been up ahead of me - at about the same distance - for most of the race. Suddenly, she was much closer. I picked it up even more and started to really close the gap. Then I passed her, and several others. I ran by mile 5 at 57-something - less than 10 minutes after passing mile 4. I kept up at a good pace until about mile 5.5 and then I started really hurting - literally.
My feet were killing me. My arches and toes ached like someone had been beating them with a hammer. I tried to keep up the pace, but I just didn't have it in me. Also? The last of four hills lay in front of me. I walked half of it. But then saw the mile 6 marker up ahead and ran by and could see the finish line and that was great! My time was 1:12:41, which is NOT great, but given everything - I'm satisfied.
I went there today thinking I'd have to walk about half the race and in reality I only walked twice - both on hills (there were four hills over all). I also should note that I stopped (not slowed down, but STOPPED) at each water station. So really? This time is not bad at all and had not gotten mono and had I not had to work away the entire month of October, this probably *would* have been done at my normal 10 -10:30 pace.
I'm happy I went. It would have been super easy to have blown it off. It gives me some confidence back (which has been sorely missing lately) and it gives me a benchmark to improve upon.
All good stuff!
* * *
I do have to add that I've had a little bit of marathon fever lately. Sort of turning it around in my head wondering, "Hmmm? Could I? Should I?" When I ran across that finish line yesterday, one of my first thoughts was, "Holy crap, this isn't even 1/4 of a marathon. If this were a marathon, I'd have TWENTY more miles to run." Which is incredibly daunting. Of course, training helps. :-)
Labels: NaBloPoMo, Race recaps
posted by Kimberly at
8:15 PM
2 Comments:
Way to go! Congratulations!
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