10k COMPLETE!

Today I ran my first 10k!

Overall, it was great! I was a little nervous because 1. I had only run once this past week and 2. the furthest distance I have gone so far was only around 5..maybe 5.5miles. I know that last.5 shouldn't make to much of a difference, but it did, well only a little.

The picture to the left is of the Publick House, the start line was behind the restaurant. This is in Sturbridge, MA. This was a race for the Rehabilitation Rescources, Inc.

 

 
Here is my bib number!!!!
I ended up taking it off my shirt, and pinning it to the back of my jacket. I wanted to be able to run with the my jacket on at first, and I didnt want to cover up my bib, so I pinned it to the back, so if I took it off, you could still see it if I tied my jacket around my waist. In the end I could have kept it on my shirt, but oh well!

The Remax Hot Air Balloon next to the Start!

So the race officially started at 9:03am, with both 5k and 10k groups starting together. I started off at my own pace...walking. Whenever I start a run I try to start walking..fast, but not running, just to warm up.



I was walking...and everyone else was passing me,but that is something I had to be ok with, I have my own pace, and I was sticking to it! Plus half the crowd was doing the 5k...and when I passed the 5k turn around , I felt as if I was the only one doing the 10k. I saw a few people in front of me, but no one behind me.

Getting passed the 3mile mark is always the hardest for me. Its that hump I have to get over, and then I kind of soar through the rest..still at a steady pace, but I'm not struggling physically. There were some hills but nothing to cry about, I made it through.

 Both pictures are of the same thing..just one is closer up. I thought it was a great time to capture some beautiful Fall foliage!!

 

Around mile 3...I was on my own, aside from volunteers telling you where to go, so it was really nice. The trees are all beginning to turn if they haven't already, and it was beautiful. The only thing I had to be careful of was getting around turns on the road..where it was hard for cars to see you until they got around the turn. A Sturbridge cop came down the road every once and a while, probably to make sure there was no one hurt, or to see if there was anyone left....like me!

 

I was in the home stretch as I hit mile 5. But that's when trouble began again. My left thigh became really tired and kind of sore. I had to take it easy to not stress it out to much, but I didn't want to lose to much on my pace time at that point. I walked a little more, pushed through and made it to the 6mile mark. Of course there is a hill at the end, so I walked up that as quick as I could and as soon as I hit flat ground, I went for it!

 

So here is my grand ending. The race started at 9am, with a 5k and 10k group. But at 10:30, there was a fun run, which starts at the start/end of the 5k/10k. So as I finished (dead last) there was this huge crowd waiting to start there fun run. As I got close, I could hear a bunch of the kids waiting to start say "here comes a runner!", "another runner is here!" so of course I was bit embarrassed that I was last, but at the same time I thought it was a great way to end. I had this huge crowd to cheer me on, be there to congratulate me as I finished!

 

So I finished!

According to my RunStar app, I finished 6.3miles in 1hour, 25minutes and 54 seconds!

According to the time keeper of the race, I finished the 10k (6.213miles) in 1 hour, 26minutes and some odd seconds. The official times arent posted yet online.

The difference I think is made in the the mile markers and my app and how it counted the miles. As I was approaching each mile marker, my app would tell me I hit it before I even got to the marker that the race people had put out. But then when I hit the mile 6 marker, my app said I reached 6miles after the marker. So I dont know which was correct, my app or the markers. 



But the only thing is...I FINISHED! 

When I got to registration, like many races, you get a shirt. Well the 5k I did back in May I think, gave tshirts. But this race were wicking shirts...not cotton! I was so excited! I dont need anymore tshirts, but I can always use another running shirt!

So after the race, I walked around for a couple minutes to cool down. I should have walked a little longer, or stretched because when I got home and got out of the car, I was a bit sore, so I will be sure to ice up a little bit this evening.




On my way home I had to make a stop...after all, America runs on Dunkins...and as do I!

 Getting some Post Race sustenance!

 Cant wait to do another one!

Stephanie
"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”