Endorphins!
I ran my ten mile race today!!!
It went really well...even though it was raining the whole time...and I hadn't run at ALL in two weeks...I managed to get a PR (personal record) and met all of my original goals:
* Finish the race
* Run the whole way
* Average a 12-minute mile
* Don't get picked up by the slow-people bus**
My official race time was 1:56:48, which beat my time from my last (practice) ten miles, which was about 2:10. I averaged 11:41 per mile!!
The first leg of the race took us around potomac park, which was completely lined with blooming cherry blossom trees. It was really beautiful to look at, and I was running about a 12 minute mile. Miles five and six were really draggy. About 13 minute miles there. By the time I hit the 8 mile marker, I decided to pick up the pace and I was probably running an eleven for mile 9, and I ran a bit faster for the last mile. I tried to sprint for the last 400 meters, but probably sprinted for the first and last 100 meters in that set.
A bunch of my friends came out to cheer me on (even though they had to wake up at 7:30am!!!) It was a huge morale boost to see them at the starting line, and then again at mile five and at the finish line. Warms the heart :)
I bought new socks yesterday which turned out to be delightful today...until they got toootally soggy by the halfway point. I also tried consuming a few "gels" during the race, which are these concentrated energy/calorie substances that runners can squeeze into their mouths while running for an energy boost (and to stave off hunger). They were the nastiest-ass substance I have EVER put in my mouth (YES. EVER. BAR NONE.) but i did feel the energy boost.
I wish I'd savored the finish line a bit more, but I was just completely focused on running as fast as humanly possible at that point. All thoughts actually left my head. I meditated on my progress a bit while running, at the point when I realized I'd definitely be able to finish the race - one of those "how far I've come" things. In December, I could not run for twenty minutes without getting tired and sore. Twenty minutes.
I feel so proud of myself for having trained so hard for this and for DOING it in the end! I haven't lost all that much weight (less than 10 pounds), but I've definitely seen improvements in my body tone. I'm going to try to keep up with the running...I'll probably register for another race, soon.
** There was a bus that came around after the five-mile point and picked up the people who were running too slowly.
It went really well...even though it was raining the whole time...and I hadn't run at ALL in two weeks...I managed to get a PR (personal record) and met all of my original goals:
* Finish the race
* Run the whole way
* Average a 12-minute mile
* Don't get picked up by the slow-people bus**
My official race time was 1:56:48, which beat my time from my last (practice) ten miles, which was about 2:10. I averaged 11:41 per mile!!
The first leg of the race took us around potomac park, which was completely lined with blooming cherry blossom trees. It was really beautiful to look at, and I was running about a 12 minute mile. Miles five and six were really draggy. About 13 minute miles there. By the time I hit the 8 mile marker, I decided to pick up the pace and I was probably running an eleven for mile 9, and I ran a bit faster for the last mile. I tried to sprint for the last 400 meters, but probably sprinted for the first and last 100 meters in that set.
A bunch of my friends came out to cheer me on (even though they had to wake up at 7:30am!!!) It was a huge morale boost to see them at the starting line, and then again at mile five and at the finish line. Warms the heart :)
I bought new socks yesterday which turned out to be delightful today...until they got toootally soggy by the halfway point. I also tried consuming a few "gels" during the race, which are these concentrated energy/calorie substances that runners can squeeze into their mouths while running for an energy boost (and to stave off hunger). They were the nastiest-ass substance I have EVER put in my mouth (YES. EVER. BAR NONE.) but i did feel the energy boost.
I wish I'd savored the finish line a bit more, but I was just completely focused on running as fast as humanly possible at that point. All thoughts actually left my head. I meditated on my progress a bit while running, at the point when I realized I'd definitely be able to finish the race - one of those "how far I've come" things. In December, I could not run for twenty minutes without getting tired and sore. Twenty minutes.
I feel so proud of myself for having trained so hard for this and for DOING it in the end! I haven't lost all that much weight (less than 10 pounds), but I've definitely seen improvements in my body tone. I'm going to try to keep up with the running...I'll probably register for another race, soon.
** There was a bus that came around after the five-mile point and picked up the people who were running too slowly.