Today was the day I finished my first 10K run, in 15 minutes less than I expected to do it… 59:40!
I really wasn’t sure whether or not I’d even be able to finish, since it was my first time to run a 10K EVER. The farthest I’d ever gone in practice was something like 7km, and I was already on the verge of collapsing then. But I had faith, and I told myself that I’d just do my best to finish under 1:15.
I got side stitches during the first kilometer, but I kept to our coach’s motto (”Suck the pain!”), and they wore off eventually. I wanted to go at a slow pace so as to preserve my energy, since I was in a “filling-in” process, trying to figure out if I could really do a 10K. I finished the first loop in around 29:30 (which sets a new PR for me), and took a four-minute walking break. I started to run a faster pace the second time around, and although I began walking a few times to catch my breath, I generally tried running the whole thing. As I saw the finish line nearby, I began sprinting, and crossed the finish line with a few seconds left till an hour. Not bad!
I think I can do a 50-minute 10K in the future, if I can train a bit more, and take less walking breaks. Now that I know I’m capable, it’s all a matter of pushing myself to go faster.
I’m proud to present my J.O.G. race review.
PROS:
- Accessible water stations
- Generally flat route
- Accommodating people
- Timing chip!
- Goodie bags!
CONS:
- Race kit complications
- Started late
- Lack of trash cans/collectors (the road was littered with cups)
- No intrinsic 10K route (it was simply two 5K loops)
- Shirt instead of singlet (design was boring, too)
But then again, for a race organized by a school, I think it was a job well done. I commend all the organizers.
RATING: 3.5/5
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