Saturday, March 14, 2009

10K victory...

Well, I did it, I ran my first 10K this morning! And I did great.

Well, my finish was fairly bad, but I, myself, did great! I finished 1,878th out of 1,911 runners. I was 33rd from the last. But I consider this a win because I finished strong and ran very confidently throughout the entire race. I actually had a great run. (I told you guys I ran slow and I now you have proof.) :)

It was actually a little intimidating at the start. I got there and lined up around the back of the bunch because my pace is 15 minutes per mile and the highest pace marker was 10 minutes. I knew there was no way I could run a 10 minute mile. But as I was standing there, I looked around and everyone looked fit and skinny. I saw just a few people that looked like they might be 10 or 15 pounds overweight, but they all looked young and fit. I wondered what I'd gotten myself into. Maybe I had bitten off more than I could chew!

But then the race started and I was off running side by side with these skinny fit people.

Now, it wasn't long before they all passed me, but that was okay. I just got into my steady stride and steady breathe and ran confidently.

I usually get winded my first 2 miles, but this time I didn't. I was such a rock. I surprised myself, actually. I brought my iPod this time and put on a CD I hadn't listened to in quite a while. Used to be my favorite. It's Private Nation by Train. Listening to it helped keep me focused and helped me concentrate on my stride and my breathing. I didn't get caught up in seeing all those people passing me and freak out that maybe I should be going faster.

I Twittered again and that helped me. Kind of like everyone was going through this with me. A friend from work texted me and said she was following me on Twitter. That was cool!

I ran the whole way. I never felt like walking or slowing down. I'm so proud of how I did.

It was actually kind of funny because as I passed the 6 mile mark, these two old people—and by old, I mean really old, like late 70's or maybe even 80!—came walking past me. Yes, walking! They were walking pretty fast, but still they were walking. Was so bad.

I couldn't have them finish before me so I kicked it in gear the last 2/10th of a mile and finished ahead of the old people.

Then to celebrate my finish, we went for hot Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Oh my goodness, those things are like a little piece of heaven.

You know, I've been giving alot of thought to the shoes that I run in and I think they're just fine. I could go get fitted at a running store and buy $80-$100 shoes, but my $30 shoes from Sports Authority are doing just fine for me. They're the most comfortable sneakers I've ever had and I feel wonderful when I run.

Maybe when (if) I get to be more of a competitor, I can invest in better shoes, but for now, these are doing me just fine. That's all I was trying to say to begin with about getting a good pair of shoes to run in. I know I'm still just starting out, too. I've only been running since mid-December. And I'm just barely running, too.

By the way, I gained 8/10ths of a pound at yesterday's weigh in. I actually did great all week, drank my water every day, ate within my points (not like last week) and I exercised great this week (ran 12 miles altogether). After all, I did lose 4.6 pounds last week so a little gain this week isn't all that bad. I'm not upset with it at all.

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15 comments:

Carol said...

Congrats on a great race! It isn't about speed anyway. As far as I'm concerned, anyone who crosses the finish line gets full bragging rights. It's about doing it . . . and you did it!

Lauri said...

I am SO proud of you! Great job! You are such an amazing woman! Thank you for all your inspiration. And I agree with Carol......crossing the finish line is what it's all about! Congratulations!

Losinthisdangfat said...

That is awesome! Great job!

SeaShore said...

Congratulations on your first 10k! Well done. You must have felt on top of the world when you crossed that finish line!

Donna B said...

Congrats on the 10K race!
It doesn't matter how fast your run, it is what your accomplished that is important. Keep up the great work! I can only hope to try and do as well as you by finishing my biking event next month. I am so excited and yet nervous at the same time. It is thrilling to be healthier than I ever thought i could be and have the nerve to try to do any kind of event. I love to follow your progress!

Dr Wednesday said...

Your race sounds AMAZING! I think you did great. And about the runnning shoes- if they feel great while running, and your feet feel good after a run- what else are you looking for? Good on you!

MaryFran said...

I am soooooooo cheeering and jumping up and down at the news of your huge victory!!! YOu did it!!!

WWSuzi said...

I'm soooo proud of you!! It took a lot of guts to do your first race. Congrats on accomplishing what you set out to do!

jinxxxygirl said...

Congrats Cara!

Wahoo! Your amazing. I'm in awe of how far you are able to run so soon. Strange i thought our runs were on the same day. Funny yours was in the middle of the week aren't they usually on weekends?? I braved the cold and made it to mine. Tell you all about it later. I'm so happy and proud of you. Jinx!

Lake Mary WWLeader said...

Congratulations and a hearty well done from all of your WW friends. We are all very proud of you and your 10K accomplishment! Just remember the tortoise and the hare, slow and steady wins the race...and you are a Winner! Please come and share your story with us at next week's meeting.

--cara said...

Thank you everyone. I love your encouragement and congrats. Makes all the hard work worth it. Well, that and a huge sense of accomplishment! :)

My date was messed up on my blog. Not sure why it said I posted that blog last week sometime. My 10K was yesterday, Saturday. Oh well.

Anonymous said...

I don't run any more, but did a 10K a few years back. I too remember kicking it in at the end, determined not to let that 80 year old man beat me! It's funny to read that someone else had that same experience. And what matters is finishing! On the shoes, if yours are working, that's great, but just be sure that you are minimizing the stress on your knees and joints -- running is high impact, and if you are still a few pounds overweight, that exacerbates the impact on your knees each step. I'm a few years older than you are, and I think that you should not skimp a single bit on your running shoes, b/c the potential downside is screwing up your knees!

Anonymous said...

great job. running is not easy especially that far. you should be very proud.

Deborah said...

I am sooooo proud of you!!!!

{{{HUG}}}

Sharon said...

Wear your race t-shirt with pride. Congratualations.

Sharon