So I've done it now, and I may regret it later, but right now I confess I'm excited! What did I do? Why I went and signed up for not only a 10K (my first!) but also 10 mile race (also obviously my first) in October. Of this year. Yep, I'm down to 19 days for the 10K, and now 6 weeks for the 10 miler.
Now why did you go and do a fool thing like that, you may ask. Because I have the running bug and I'm having fun! No really, I have been having lots of fun running this summer and felt like I was ready to try a few races to see just how much my run tracker has been lying to me about how well I've been doing.
And MyTracks has been lying to me, especially about distance on some of my long runs. How do I know? Because I Google map most newer runs and have found sometimes the distance is off, at times way off. It seems like sometimes extra movement will get translated as mileage, so a run that MyTracks tells me was 5.8 miles might really only be 5.3 miles. When I catch it lying I get so irritated but what can you do? Maybe someday I'll get all technical and get a Garmin watch but right now I guess MyTracks and I will continue with our codependent relationship.
Besides, I have been seeing real progress in my running this summer, despite the heat and humidity and the lies of MyTracks. When last we met in June, I was getting ready for a 5K, which I did finish in 33:39. I was happy with my time, because it was faster than the Race for the Cure in May, and felt pretty good during the race. However, I was disappointed by how much I struggled with the few hills on the course and realized that all treadmill running was not a good thing. So I hit the road, and over the summer ran outside, up hills and down. Hills that once made me huff and puff in July, now I can keep my pace and chug right up. I'm still pretty slow but have increased distance gradually so that right now, 5 mile runs are my routine runs. That's right, a 5 mile run is a piece of cake. Ha!
So why not stay with the 5K and work on time? Get faster! Work harder on dropping below 30 minutes for a 5K!
Because I don't want to, that's why.
I am not a fast runner, never will be and don't really want to be. How do I know this? Because I like distance, slow and steady, chug chugging along toward a bigger goal that would burnout those 5K gazelles. I have been pleasantly surprised to find that adding more distance every so often has not been so hard and I can come home feeling good, not all pukey like with a fast run. And remember, my ultimate crazy goal is the big M. Marathon!
So what's coming up? First, October 1, Twin Cities Marathon weekend 10K. Out and back, with the hill at the beginning. Feeling pretty confident that I can do this one without embarrassing myself. I can say this now, of course...
Next after that, on October 29, MonsterDash 10 miler! Why? Because I did this one run recently, where I was trying to add a little distance and then took a wrong turn and ended up running much farther than I had planned. And I survived. Really, it was no big deal. And I've heard that MonsterDash gives good swag so now I'm in for that one too.
Rest assured, I'm not so crazy to try a half marathon yet. But next June is Grandma's Marathon and I've heard the half marathon is the best!
