My First 10K

Sunday was the 32nd running of the Classic 10K race and it was also the first 10K race I've competed in. I've participated in the Classic's companion Rowley 5K race twice before this so it wasn't my first road race, but I'd still consider myself novice in the running world.

Training

Leading up to the race day I've been trying to stick to a somewhat regular running schedule. I would run every other or every third day depending on the weather. During the week I ran maintenance runs between 2-3 miles before work. I was just trying to build endurance into the muscles I don't regularly use on a daily basis.

On the past few weekends I've tried to run longer and longer distances. I started with 4 miles. Then 4.5, 5, and 5.5 miles. Each run was a bit more challenging, but I was able to push myself to the distance I hoped to reach.

The Unknown

Despite all of the training runs I knew there were a few things I wouldn't be able to prepare for. Even though I had worked myself up to 5.5 miles, there was still that last mile I had yet to experience. Granted, if I felt fatigued, but able to continue on at 5.5 miles then I should be able to survive that last mile - even if I had to walk a lot of it.

Another unknown was the course itself. I have been training by running laps on an outdoor track near my house. It doesn't make for terribly interesting running, but what it lacks in amusement, it makes up for in consistency. I had clocked myself running 2:45 laps over and and over again. So I knew I could anticipate to run about 10:30 - 11 per mile and therefore around 70 minutes over 6.4 miles. But I didn't know what the course was going to be like. Were the hills going to destroy me? Was I going to be thrown off at some point by a confusing turn?

Finally Race Day!

It started out just as I had planned. The day before I ate light and stuck to simple carbs. I had read that was easier on the body to digest. The night before - plenty of water. The morning of the race I had an energy bar another glass of water. Fueled up and ready to go!

I made my way to the race start. One of the luxuries about this particular race is that it practically starts and ends in my back yard. I could hear the announcers from my house. In fact, the race route encompassed my house making it rather difficult to leave if I wasn't running! 

Anyway, I made my way to the race start with plenty of time to watch the Rowley 5K runners take off. I had run this race before, but I had never seen it start from this angle. I was just off the starting line, facing the runners who were stretching out and shaking their limbs in anticipation. The National Anthem was sung and the starting pistol fired. The runners were off!

Once the 5K runners cleared out, I found a quiet place to stretch and gather my thoughts. I went for a very brief jog up a hill and down again. I waited for an hour or so to pass.

And I'm Off...

As the runners took their places I noticed signs along the road. "6:00 Milers Start Here." "8:00 Milers Start Here." "10:00 Milers and Walkers Start Here" That was depressing. I was roped into the same crowd as walkers. I scowled and took my place near the very back of the pack. I didn't know until later that those signs are all rubbish and no one else seemed to pay attention to them.

Just before the start I bumped into one of my neighbors. We shared some words of encouragement and wished each other luck. The starting pistol snapped and "we were off." By "we were off" I of course mean I waited 30 seconds for the mass of runners in front of me to start moving so that I could begin. It's just like driving a car ... even once the light turns green you still have to wait for all of the drivers in front of you. Eventually the traffic started moving and we took our first steps. The race had started!

I passed by a number of neighbors spectating and my wife and daughter - all cheering us on. It was a really nice feeling to see everyone come out. Throughout the race there were a lot of people watching on. Some were on the sidewalks with signs and bells. Others just watched from their porches or second floor windows. It was just great to feel that kind of support while running - something the outdoor track definitely lacked.

I'll skip ahead a bit...

The Finish Line

As I got closer to the end I realized that I still had a fair amount of energy left in the tank. It was definitely more than I had expected. I was smiling at spectators cheering us on, cracking jokes with other nearby runners, and even gave the event photographer a big thumbs up! It was clear to me I wasn't hurting half as bad as I expected to be.

The course route ends with a dramatic finish. It pours onto an outdoor running track (hey, I've seen one of these before!) where the stands were filled with people. As I entered the stadium, they called out my name on the PA system and I saw myself on the jumbo screen across the field. What a thrill! I came around the back straight and started to pick up my pace. I saw Anne and Emma, who had moved down to field level, on the final turn and sprinted to the finish line recording a time of 64:35! I had finished comfortably faster than I hoped! Wahoo!

What's Next?

So I've finished my first 10K. Now what? I think the first thing to do is repeat that a few times and get more comfortable with the 6.4 mile distance. Eventually, I think I'd like to work up to 10 miles. It seems like a lot further though.

Ken Shelton Photography