GRU Augusta 10k

Today was awesome! I ran at the GRU Augusta H.M./10K. (I did NOT do the HM! I did the 10k!)

I can definitely say it was one of the best runs I have ever done. My speed was not my best, but speed was not my goal for my first 10k. This has been my longest run to date. It was just such a perfect run - the energy was great, I loved the course, the event organization, and the weather.

My goal for myself- Finish under 1:00:00
My husband's goal for myself - Finish before the first Half Marathon finisher

<<< Me right before the race (cold!!!!)

Got up early and wasn't feeling my best. I didn't get good sleep last night and my stomach was slightly upset. Plus my dog is sick and we had to deal with all that mess. But I had my coffee and made my go-to breakfast sandwich - whole wheat english muffin, egg whites, and a bit of cheese. And I had a nice carb loaded burrito last night at Moe's. So the fuel was definitely there. We still managed to get out there pretty early and I had plenty of time to warm up and get to where I needed to be. It was cold and cloudy this morning. I was worried it might be one of those runs where you just can't seem to warm up no matter what you do, but after I did my warm up I knew I'd be alright.

I parted ways with my husband to get in line for the start of the 10k. There was a lane for the spectators and he went over there and found me in the crowd (guess which one I am!)

I loved the energy of this race. The staff was great, they had music, and an announcer - so it's not like we were just standing there in silence waiting to run. At 8:15 we were off and started down the streets of downtown Augusta. This run was all about pace. Having only done 5k's before, I have been training in the mindset of "GO FAST DAMMIT!" so I have had to retrain my brain for this one and make myself go at a comfortable jogging pace. I kept this up for the first 2 miles. Passed the first water station, ran up a hill and under a bridge, then took a turn and started mile 3. At this point I did slow down for a drink from the water station, and saw what was ahead next - one big, long hill. More like a very gradual but very long incline. I had to switch to "hill running mode", good thing I've trained on hills a little bit! Towards the top I heard a weird noise to my right. It ended up being a lady puking all over the place. She didn't stop either, so it was a run-puke. 15 seconds later she puked again. She looked like she was in decent shape, and the hill wasn't THAT bad, so I was wondering what was wrong. I felt bad for her! After that I neared the top of the hill, expecting relief, only to find that the road curved and the hill kept going! Dammit! But I kept going, and only stopped for a quick walk break at the top of the hill. I was still feeling great. This area of the course took us through a historic section of the city which was really really cool. I live in a small town outside Augusta, and I have only lived here for about 6 months - so I have not been to the downtown area of Augusta very much. It was really cool to run through it and see all the old buildings and huge trees. It had a very "southern" feel, and reminded me alot of my hometown of Williamsburg, VA - only without all the people dressed up in Colonial clothes. There were alot of spectators out along the course who were cheering us on, some with signs, music, and even a small pack of cheerleaders. It felt good to have complete strangers cheer me on.

Before I knew it I was at mile 4, and decided to snack on my Honey Stingers. I didn't feel like I needed them, but I would rather preemptively eat them instead of suffer a hypoglycemic sugar drop. They also gave me a little boost of energy which is always appreciated!

Mile 5 put us back on the street we started on. Still feeling great, but the sun came out and I really started to get hot. There were 2 people that were running neck and neck with me throughout this race. One of them was a guy to my left wearing a grey shirt, and he was wheezing so bad I thought he was about to keel over. I almost asked if he was ok! The girl that was running at my pace wasn't far behind. Once I saw the finish area I "emptied the tank" as is my standard practice.

See, there's grey shirt guy just behind me. I'm in black on the left.

I hauled ass towards the finish line. Didn't even look at the clock. I beat grey shirted afro-puff girl. Did not beat grey shirt guy - somehow he pulled out a huge burst of speed and passed me during the last few seconds, despite the fact that I was sprinting too. Weird, because he sounded like he was dying 5 minutes earlier. I have started to pick out people near me in races and try to beat them - competitive much?

So I finished the race, was immediately handed a medal and a water, and found my husband. I GOT A MEDAL! First medal ever. Then I went and found my time....

56:52

Pretty damn good if you ask me! Alot better than I had expected from myself for my first ever 10k. I met my goal of finishing under an hour, and my husband's goal of finishing before the first Half Marathon finisher.

The funny thing is, I felt like I could have kept running. I think I reached my "endless" pace - where I could just run at that pace forever. My pace was about 9 minutes/mile.

I feel like I have come a long way in 5 months. I could barely run for a straight minute when I started! I never thought *I* would be the one out there running races. But now that I am, it feels great. I am on my way to being stronger and healthier, and accomplishing all kinds of crazy things that the "average" American couldn't or wouldn't want to do.

Victory is tasty.

Race swag!!! They gave us COFFEE!

Now I'm exhausted, dinner is in my crock pot and I ain't doin squat. Except laundry. I expect I'll be pretty sore for the next couple days. My husband has surgery next week too. But after than my training resumes. Spartan Race Georgia in 2 WEEKS! I cannot freaking WAIT!