I slept like crapola last night and decided at 6am that it was time to get up (the alarm was set for 6:30). Luckily, my belly was growling because I knew I wanted breakfast before the race and there is nothing worse than forcing yourself to eat. 1.5 cups of black coffee, 2 cups of water, an English Muffin and 2 fried eggs later I was feeling much more alert and excited about RUNNING, even though it was still dark out.
Then I checked the temperature, 35.7! Yikes!
Alright, back to the closet to dig out a vest and hat.
(sorry for the picture quality, taken by Tate while still in bed on his iPhone)
Ahhh, much better.
I left the house on foot at 7am sharp and walked/jogged the 3/4 mile to the starting line.
T’was a gorgeous morning, cold and clear with the full moon setting. I started to warm up quickly and was happy to ditch the vest with Matt, who was there as official Kath Eats Real Food photographer.
Starting out I knew I was way too far forward for my slow ass but I was standing with Kath and Megan and decided to just go for it. Well, starting out uphill and by getting passed by dozens of people was not a great boost for the old ego or internal pacer but I kept telling myself “I’ve got this” and “Nobodies pace matters but your own”.
Around mile 3 I got cramps of the, umm, monthly variety. Ugh. Alrighty, no problem, the faster you run the sooner you’ll be done. So I sped up.
The last few minutes of the race were along the Downtown Walking Mall and since I knew exactly how much further I had I made a dash for it.
As I came around the last turn and saw the clock I picked it up even more, jumping for joy at the thought of finishing,
(Thanks for the great picture Matt!)
and came in at….
52:06!
That’s an 8 minute 25 second mile average.
PERSONAL RECORD ACHIEVED!!!
I got to be honest with you, “personal record” became my mantra for this race because it was a wee bit hard on me to know that I was the last of the 5 ladies I knew running the race. Not that I am hugely competitive but, you know, it’s nice NOT to be last. But this is why I love running, because it is personal and all runs are good runs in my book. I am not built for speed but I am working with my anatomy and getting faster through training and determination.
And I am damn proud of myself for running a 10k in 52 minutes!
It was fun to know people at the finish line. Me, Sarah, Meghann, Kath, and Adrianna
(Thanks for the picture Matt and Kath!)
Well, I really only knew Kath and Matt and met Meghann right before the race but usually I am all alone in my race endeavors. Tate came to cheer me on for my half marathon back in 2006 and we had a great crew for our marathon in Lima
but for all my other 5 and 10 k’s it’s just been me.
It’s a super sunny day and I am looking forward to spending the day with family. Have a fantastic Saturday!
Gracefulfitness 