Miles for Matthew 10k Recap

My first 10k went very well.  No pictures of me racing (kids are a lot more fun to photograph), but plenty of details.

We got to the race at 7:50 so that Bambino could participate in the kids' run at 8:00. He got a number and everything, and then the kids took off for one lap around the track.  As one of the younger runners, Bambino was near the back, but boy did he run.  He didn't stop once, and he looked like a runner. He beamed as he finished. Made my heart warm and proud. 

After the kids' race, Bambino went to child care (awesome feature!) and Jenn and Alfie walked me part-way to the start.  Tgere weren't that many runners- 296 combined for the 5k and 10k, so it was easy to ind a spot. At one point some woman behind me said, I wish I had a course map so I could figure out where to cut through.  My ears perked up. Who would admit to cheating?  Who would be so brazen as to say, before even starting, that she planned to cut it short for a better time?  I turned around ready to scold and saw a woman, clearly a spectartor, talking to her daughter about taking her picture during the race. Oops. I told her what I'd thought she meant and that she made my day. Laughter's always a good way to start a race.

At 8:30 on the nose, we started.  I tried not to stare at my watch, but I'm a little addicted to the numbers.    Mile one was fast: 9:13.  My goal for this 10k was to break 1:00, so I needed to run around 9:45 for that. I totally meant to slow down, but mile 2 was 9:09.  

At this point, I started to panic and talk to myself, thankfully in my head.  Okay, I said, you're going too fast.  You are going to crash and then walk and you'll be disappointed in yourself.  Slow down this instant.  You have a Garmin- use it!  No more speed!

Well, while I was talking to myself, mile 3 passed by in 8:48.  Crap, said I. That did not work.  Please slow down a little, okay?  You know you feel good now, but what about later? You haven't run this fast on a run longer than three miles in a year. A YEAR.

At mile 4, which I ran in 8:54, a different voice popped up. So you're running faster than expected.  Big deal! You can and have run a lot faster than this. You're doing fine.  If you crash, the worst that can happen is that you walk. But what if you don't crash? What if this is the right pace for you right now? Doesn't it feel good to go faster than expected?

I like this voice a lot more!

I ran mile 5 in 8:33 and blasted through mile 6 in 8:08. As you can see, I picked up the pace for the final mile and really tried to floor it when I could see the finish.  The course was a little short, so my final time was 53:23 for 6.09 miles, or 8:46 pace, a minute faster per mile than my goal.  Happy doesn't begin to cover how I feel about this race.  Despite being about ten pounds above "racing weight", despite having a baby less than five months ago, despite sometimes having trouble making runs work around family and work, I surpassed my goal with room to spare.  I consistently ran four times per week and 15-20 miles per week.  I raised money for a great cause and dyed my hair a funky color accordingly.  And now I am more than ready to tackle the rest of the season: two half-marathons this year, and a marathon in the spring.  I'd love to find another 10k to do, too.  This distance seems to fit me really well.