#10. My First 10K!

Last January, one of my New Year's Resolutions was to run a 5K. I started running that week, and got totally addicted. I've since run three 5K's, and this morning was my first 10K. It was absolutely perfect weather (60's, partly sunny), and I showed up on Boston Common around 11am along with the more than 7000 other women who'd signed up for the Tufts Health Plan 10K for Women. I wandered around the park a bit, stood in a very long porta-potty line, and finally we started lining up at 11:30. They introduced the elite runners (I'd never heard of any of them), the amazing Boston Marathoner Joan Benoit Samuelson gave some opening remarks, and the horn went off.

The course was really great, starting off down Beacon Hill, heading out to the river, then doing an out and back on Memorial Drive before heading back into the city. The route turned back on itself a couple of times, so it was really impressive to see the one wheelchair racer and the elite women at the front of the crowd. I think they were passing somewhere around 3 or 3.5 miles when I had only done about a mile and a half. Amazing.

The race itself was relatively uneventful, in that I didn't lose my energy or feel overly sore. I think I drank a little too much water before and during the race, though, because by the end I thought I might throw up. Thankfully I didn't, and after waiting in a long baggage claim line I managed to catch up with Greg (who had watched me finish, but then lost track of me in the crowd) and get some of the post-race food.

This afternoon they posted the results of the race, and I finished in 1:02:04, for about 10 minute miles. I had done a few 6 mile runs before this that I hadn't really timed, and a 7 mile run with about 11 minute miles, so this was a big surprise. I'm really excited that all the running I've been enjoying so much has been paying off! And racing is really addictive. I don't have anything on my calendar right now, but I'll definitely be looking for another one before too long.

Lastly, I have to send a huge "thank you" out into cyberspace to my gym (Healthworks Cambridge) and the running group they started this spring. Every Monday morning we meet at the gym at 8am for a run, and the trainers were a major part in my having the confidence to build up past just a few miles. My first runs over 5 miles were all with them, and I truly don't think I would have had the courage to try by myself. Thank you thank you thank you!