After my 5K in August (that I never mentioned), I decided to up the ante. Time for a 10K!
I met my goal for the August 5K by seconds – done in under 30 minutes – and I needed something new to work towards. Because … running gets to you like that. I downloaded the Nike Run Club app and set the training for a 10K in October. I figured it would be a good way to ring i n my 32nd year.
And it was. Oh, it was.
On the 5th I turned 32 and on the 6th I laced up my faithful tennies and ran a beautiful course for 6.2 miles. I’m kicking myself for not pushing a little bit harder because I finished at 1:01:31.7. It would have been fabulous to roll in under an hour. Next time :)
I was super nervous for this run. I couldn’t decide what to wear … it was cold, but I get really warm when I run and I just couldn’t decide! And, 6.2 miles is a lot. Physically I’ve hit such a stride with running that 2 miles or 4 miles or 6 miles feels the same. Sometimes I even feel better the longer I go. It’s the mental aspect that’s hard. I have to find something to think about or pray about, or be really invested in a good audiobook or podcast. All that to say, looking back, I think the race was my favorite so far.
The weather was clear, the course was flat, and I felt so accomplished! The only time I stopped was to retie one of my shoes around mile 2!
At the moment I don’t have another race planned. To find balance in my exercise routine I need to scale back my running to twice a week. It just works better for our family that way. I plan to mix in some spin work, Holy Yoga, and hiking as often as I can though. More lifestyle exercise versus training for a race exercise. I think I’ll attempt this 10K again next year though … and hopefully run it in under an hour!