At the starting line, ready to run
Last Sunday I ran my first ever 10k, and loved every minute of it. I finished in just over an hour, which I was really pleased with; I can’t believe how far I’ve come in just 10 weeks. Before setting off I had a sudden panic that I wouldn’t be able to finish the race, but I just reminded myself to keep putting one foot in front of the other and not to worry too much about how long it took me.
Luckily, the weather was perfect: cool, crisp and sunny, which made getting out of the house in the morning much easier. The course was 4 laps of a local park, which I was apprehensive about (wouldn’t I get bored?) but it actually helped - every lap marked how far through I was. The first lap flew past, and after the second I realized I was already half way through. By the time I crossed the starting line a third time, there was only one more lap to go, which was great motivation to keep up the pace. Sure, I was overtaken by a few people, but it didn't bother me - at least I was going a lot faster than everyone cheering from the sidelines! For seasoned runners 10k may be a walk in the park (literally), but for me, it’s a huge achievement. I know that 10 weeks ago I would never have been able to run this far, and the improvement in my physical and mental endurance is fantastic.
So what have I learned from this challenge? I’ve found out that I’ll never know what I’m capable of until I get out there and try it. Having a deadline really helped me to train when even when I lacked motivation – it wasn’t always convenient, but I realized that if I really wanted to improve, I had to make time for it. I also learnt to be patient and celebrate the small achievements that I made along the way, because as cliché as it sounds, every race starts with the first step!
The final surprise was how much I’ve grown to enjoy running – a sentence I never thought I would say. I’m already looking forward to doing another 10k in the summer, and who knows? Maybe I’ll be challenging myself to a longer race next year!
