After starting the C25K last November, and completing it in February, I continued to run and try for longer distances.
I entered our local 10K race, and ran it this morning!! Prior to this, the furthest I had managed to go was 4.6 miles, and 10K is 6.2 miles so I was quite nervous that I wouldn't be able to run the whole way and would have to walk some of it.
But it was fantastic!! The atmosphere was incredible and, apart from stopping briefly at the water stations and walking long enough to drink a minuscule glass of water, I ran the entire distance!!!!!!
When I run, I find the final quarter is the hardest bit - that's when I want to stop and get tired and think "I really don't want to do this". But today it was entirely different - when I got to the final quarter, the last thing on my mind was stopping - there was no way I could have run 3/4 of the way, been within a hair's width of having run the whole thing and stopping to walk. So I just kept on going - my pace wasn't the best, but I ran it. I finished in an hour - an average speed of 6.3 mph, as I was almost at the back at the start, so I must have been 0.1 from the starting post.
The motivation during a race though is something else. Running on my own, while I enjoy it and I have had some really good runs, it's not the same as running with other people - I felt on top of the world when I finished, I was so damn high!!
Anyway, I just wanted to share that I ran 10K today!!
I'm working myself up to running a 5K. Twice that is currently outside the realm of the possible. I know I could walk 10K easily, but I can't wait to be able to even *think* about running it.
My plan is:
August 2009: another 10K
November 2009: half marathon
February 2010: half marathon
April 2010: London or Blackpool marathon if I can't get into London
I'm also doing the race for life in July but that's only a 5K - I ran most of that this morning as a recovery run!!
I ran 10K today!!!
AWESOME! What a success!
