This One Was for Me!

It is not often that we set out to do things just for ourselves, atleast it's not that way for me.  This morning my 10K race was just for me though!  I've just started my new position at work this week, and felt like I was running on adrenaline and a little bit of nerves all week long, but my only training for this 10k was a few runs the last 2 weeks.  By few I mean I totaled about 9 miles over 3 days. With ridiculous training like that, I told myself just to run my best and finish.  My last 10k was the Cooper River Bridge Run in Charleston, SC and I had the pleasure hassle of running with a backpack while hubby took off on a good time.  I wasn't completely disappointed with my completion of 1:12:37 in that race. 

Hubby thought a before race stretching shot was necessary.



When I signed up for this HOG JOG in Charlotte, I figured the name alone was enough to  make me run faster, and I figured I could probably do atleast as well as I had in April sans the backpack.  I had no time goal, and just wanted to finish the race feeling good.  I was pleased to start out at a good pace and keep it between 9:30 and 10:00 minute miles at first, but about half a mile into the race I realized my Garmin watch wasn't started, so my time had not been going.  Oops! I also had no idea what the course was going to be like, seeing how I JUST got the map last night and was too tired to really focus on it.  But again, I told myself as I listened to the lyrics of Beautiful Day by U2 that it was a beautiful day and I was going to keep running!  The course was a little hilly, lots of curves, which I think I now might prefer over a long, straight stretch of course.  I think the miles pass quicker! The race wasn't very crowded, which I like!  I tend to run alone, I don't mind people near me, but I get in my groove and today that groove was all about me!  Running is one thing that clears my head and makes me feel great, even if DOMS sets in a day or two later.  This race gave me time to process all the information I had coming at me this week in learning about my new position.  It also gave me the opportunity to reflect on all that I have accomplished in my career to get this new position.  On this morning's run I learned that it's okay not to have expectations all the time, and that sometimes when you don't have them, you end up doing better than you thought!  And that is why I'm very pleased satisfied with my  1:09:32 finish!  I looked at the official results, and I could give you the details about my place in the total race, where I finished next to others in my age group, but today it wasn't about them, it was about me!  I don't need to finish first, I usually don't finish last, and that is good enough for me!

This would be my "Finish Strong" sprint to the finish line face.

 

A few other things I learned along this course:
1) Running Skirts ROCK
2) Pizza isn't the best night before meal (I just felt heavy)
3) Speed work is KEY to a race
4) I love having my hubby at the finish line!