In other weekend news, I tackled a first this weekend. My first 10K! You might remember me talking about a 10K being my next goal back in May. While my training fell by the wayside with everything else going on (read: I didn't train AT ALL) I still knew I could do it. I ran a less than a handful of times since the 5K I ran in April so I was a little nervous going into this 10K. Especially since I am not a natural long distance runner - I struggle with it. But I survived!
The Tour Des Fleurs 10k/20k is one of Dallas' most popular races of the season. The race benefits our beautiful one of a kind Dallas Arboretum and takes place within the arboretum and around White Rock Lake. I am so fortunate to live in this beautiful area of Dallas and I wanted to do something that benefits a cause I love for my first 10k.
The race started at 8am in the morning so I rolled out of bed around 7am, laced up my shoes, stuffed a banana, some coffee and some water down my throat and headed out the door. The weather was absolutely perfect (mid 60s and partly cloudy) and I got to stroll through the beautiful arboretum gardens as my warm up. I hit the large pack of runners just about 5 minutes before the race started - I stretched, set my watch timer and got ready. Bang! Gun goes off, lets do this!
The first couple miles my adrenaline was running full force, the course was flat and I was enjoying the weather and the scenery. I was off to a good start and feeling pretty energized.
About halfway through the hills started. The first hill was HUGE. I was just starting to get a little tired and I knew this hill was going to be the death of me. So what did I do, I got it over with as fast as possible and sprinted up the hill. Not going to lie, felt kind of like a badass sprinting past other runners as I conquered the massive hill. Then I hit the top and slowed down and my body was not happy with me. I slowed WAY down to recover and then carried on.
The middle of race was all hills - a combo of small and big. I was not prepared for this and it hurt. A lot. Then we came around the corner and started the loop back to the start/finish line. I hit the water stop just at the right time and refueled so I could make it to the end of the race.
The people that had gathered along the last mile were cheering and it gave me the push I needed. I saw the finish line and put everything I had into the last half mile. And done!
Once I crossed the finish line I had the biggest grin on my face. I did it. I ran my first 10k and I didn't kill over. Then I saw my sweet Molly's face and my race was complete.
I enjoyed a post race beer, some breakfast tacos and walked around the arboretum to cool down. It doesn't hurt to have a world renowned exhibit by Chihuly to check out while you come off your race high.
So how did I do? Well I did better than I thought I would! I finished in 1:13:57. Not something I would brag about but far better than I thought I would fare with absolutely zero training. It definitely let me know what my body is capable of and I am excited to actually do some training and sign up for another one.
One down, more to come.
Race photo from www.racephotonetwork.com all other photos property of ChasingHallie
Congratulations, girl! Especially with a sick baby. You're a rockstar.
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