This Saturday was my first big race – The Crim 10 mile. It was a great race! The course ran through downtown Flint and had a good balance of hills and flats. I was really glad that I have been training on hills since many times I was the only person running up the hills at my pace level. I made me feel strong and accomplished. I didn't even realize we were going up hill a few times until the trip back down :)
 |
| Me after the finish line. I felt like I could have done a few more miles - until about a half an hour later! |
I was a little worried about completing the course in a timely manner since our 10 mile training run was canceled several miles short due to a tornado warning. The longest run I had done to date was a 8.5 mile run and my time STUNK! Something like a 19 minute mile. I thought my time was because of how hard the trainers were pushing me (I was completely toast at the 6 mile mark), but of course they believed I just wasn't trying hard enough - I even caught them mocking me the next week. The people that I am paying to help me get through this. The people who said every week how good I was doing... grrrr.....
Race day I just completely put them out of my mind. I did the intervals that worked for me and pushed myself, but not to the point that I wouldn't be able to finish - which is the whole point of the Gallaway program, right? I was was very happy to not only beat my 8.5 mile pace and my personal goal of finishing before the roads open (18 min/mi), but I was also able to pass my "ultimate" goal of a 16 minute mile - ten 16 minute miles. I think my official time was at 15:25 mile, but since I didn’t run the inside track the whole way my gps had my route a little longer and just a few seconds under 15.
Now some of you out there might not be happy with that time. In fact, you might be able to walk that speed, but I am very ecstatic!! This year is not about being the fastest runner out there - or even close - it is about finishing. About doing something that I have never felt like I could actually do. It was a wonderful feeling and I loved the fact that I wasn’t last. I wasn’t even close to last!
 |
| My Parents caught up to me at the 2 mile mark. I am on the far left. |
 |
| The start line - It took me over 8 minutes to get to the start. |
