My First 10k
My First 10k
April 27, 2017
Disclaimer: I received a free entry to the Run Inspired 10k race as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!
So this past week I crossed another item off my running bucket list (or I guess committed to crossing it off), I signed up for my first ever 10k. I'm not sure why I've put it off for so long, I just made the jump from 5ks to half marathons and I guess just haven't found a 10k that really caught my attention.
Enter The Run Inspired 10k. The Run Inspired 10k supports "Operation Warm," an organization that, for every race registrant, will provide a winter coat for a child in need (last year they donated over 1,600!). Running for a great cause aside, there are three things that have me really excited about the race.
First, it's a new distance. Sure I've run ten kilometers before but that was never the end. I've only run that far as a part of a half-marathon, or a training run for a half-marathon. That means, no matter how fast I run, I'll be setting a guaranteed PR. I'm not sure yet how hard I'll push for that race but I'm excited to have a new distance under my belt, and a new PR to break!
Second, the race is in Winterthur, Delaware (#FirstStateFirstLove!). I grew up right down the road and I'm always looking for a reason to travel down to DE for a quick visit. After running the Beau Biden Memorial Run in that area last March, I'm excited to return, and I definitely don't mind the free lodging! Winterthur was also a popular spot for our cross country practices because of its assortment of trails which leads me into the third, and maybe most exciting part of the race.
My last ever cross country race was run on a steeplechase horse track in Winterthur. That race holds particular significance for me, not only because it was my last ever cross country race, but also because it was my fastest. I didn't run cross country until my senior year of high school and I consistently kick myself for not starting sooner. I didn't know much about the sport except that a few of my friends seemed to enjoy it and the concept seemed relatively simple, just run.
The first practice I ever had with our team was the season's first timed trial. This was an opportunity for every runner to push themselves and get a realistic sense of their current ability at the 5k distance. The main problem for me was that I had missed most of the pre-season and had no idea how to pace a 5k. I hadn't run more than a mile or two all summer so I was definitely a bit nervous.
I remember following one of my friends for most of the run, partly because I had no idea where I was going, and partly to gauge his pace. Although I don't remember my specific time, I remember it was slow for a high school cross country runner, somewhere just over 30 minutes.
From that day forward I had a few goals for myself. The first was to make the varsity team, we were small so that wouldn't be too difficult, I would just need to shave 4 or 5 minutes off my time. My second goal was to run a sub-20-minute 5k. I wasn't sure how realistic that was but I started to gain confidence throughout the season.
I was pretty lax on the long runs but pushed myself during drills. Midway through the season, we had a streak of 3 races in 2 weeks that were all on our home course, the same flat course we'd run our first trials on. I knew that would be my best shot at the 20-minute goal. Watching the seconds tick past 20:00 as I sprinted down the chute was devastating.
Fast-forward a few weeks to our final race of the season. The conditions weren't ideal. We were running on a horse track which meant we were running on thick grass, something I wasn't used to. Although the grass provided some cushion for the run, it also did a remarkable job at hiding divots caused by the pounding of the horses that traditionally ran there. Lastly, the final stretch was uphill. I was pretty good at hills, we drilled them constantly, but obviously not ideal for a shot at my PR. The course was two loops and our team practiced on the course all week leading up to the race.
I'll never forget watching the clock tick past 20:00 once again knowing I'd missed the mark. The real kicker for this attempt, in particular, was that a week after the race, our coach informed us that the course had been measured incorrectly and was almost a quarter-mile longer than it should have been. That's the closest I've ever come to a sub-20-minute 5k and I might have made it after all.
So now I'm ready to take on a race at Winterthur once again. Sure it's a new race and a new distance but in an area, I'm quite familiar with. I've talked a bit about how 2017 has so far been a rebuilding year for me so it'll be nice to race through the trails where I first started running.