10k Success!

Sorry it took me awhile to post this; I'm not lying by the side of the race course, I swear! It's just been busy, as always.

The 10k on Saturday went really well. I felt great throughout the race. At the beginning, I felt like people were flying by me, left and right, but I also knew that if I tried to pick up my pace, I would fade out really early. So I held on, and by about mile 2.5, I started slowly passing many of the people that had flown by earlier.

My plan all along was to plod along at an easy pace until mile 4. At that point, most of the race—including the bridges—would be behind me. Plus a lot of the last mile would be downhill. So if I still had a lot of energy after mile 4, I felt pretty secure in kicking it up a notch for the final stretch.

It went pretty much according to plan, except there wasn't a whole lot of gas left in the tank after mile 4. I tried to increase my pace a bit, but my legs were pretty tired. The final bridge (of 3) really did me in. I figured I would finish in about 72-74 minutes. Anything under that range was good, and anything in the 60s, I would be ecstatic.

In the end, I finished at 70 minutes, 22 seconds, with an average pace of 11:21 min/mile. I was right in the middle of the pack, being 96 of 187 in my division (females aged 30-34). It was kinda difficult to acknowledge how much my pace has slowed, since my last race pace was 9:17/mile for a 5-miler. But then again, since that race, it's been a year and a half of little running, plus gaining weight ... oh! and having a baby.

So overall, I'm pleased with the race. I did it, I finished it, and now I know where I'm at. For the rest of the summer races, I have a starting point and can keep improving from here.

Starting with the 5k Run Wild for a Cure that is only a few days away! According to a Race Time Predictor, I should be able to run a 5k in 34:07, which is a pace of 10:59 min/mile. I think I should be able to beat that, though, knowing the Flying Pig 10k course versus the Run Wild for a Cure course. I guess I'll find out soon enough!

Either way, I'm just very excited to be running again. Setting running goals, training (if somewhat sporadically), and feeling like an active person. Thanks for all the good wishes in my race this past weekend— they will also be welcome for my race at 8:30am Eastern time, this coming Saturday! :)