Deep breath, this is a long one. In short: it was hard, REALLY hard, but I just about did it.
I have a distinct memory, years ago (I think it was 2008), I watched a Race for Life 5K event in my hometown, and as I was watching, I saw the runners that were running the whole 5K, it was the first time I’d ever seen an organised race, and I thought to myself “How is that possible? How are they doing it…the whole way?! I could never…”. At school I was never one of the sporty ones, I could barely run 800m, so, for me, 5K seemed absolutely impossible.
Well, just over a year ago, I started Couch to 5K (one of the best decisions I've ever made) and, today, I ran that distance that “I could never” have twice over - the Race for Like 10K. It was the hardest run I have ever done with three massive climbs, and everyone around me was walking after that first climb, but I did it. I wasn't fast, but I did it. I ran the whole way and I hope 2008 Sarah was proud. Running is something just for me, it has built my self-belief massively, it’s helped improve my mental health (I’ve struggled for a long time with anxiety), and it has shown me what you can do when you commit to something and put your mind to it.
A bit more on the actual race…
I felt good at the start. I did take off too fast, more like my 5K pace than the pace I had been training for for 10K, but I felt good. 4.5K came around and still, I felt pretty good, although I was getting blisters on the balls of my feet again (it happens every time I run in veering degrees, and just a niggle that won’t seem to ever go away) and I started worrying about how far I still had to go. But it was manageable.
We got to 5K and I saw a turning up ahead which I thought was going to be a U-turn to head back to the start/finish. So I merrily made my way up the hill to get to the turning, fully expected to have a downhill stretch. Turning… turning… turning… "Oh, my god". Ahead of me I see a massive steep climb up a sort of farm track and my stomach drops. Everyone, literally everyone, I can see ahead has started walking (NB. my main aim for this run is not to walk, I want to run a whole 10K).
Well, I don’t know how, but I just kept plodding up and somehow I made it up, at 6K it sort of levelled off. It took me a while to recover but I consoled myself with the thought “There can’t possibly be any more uphill”. And that was true, for, oh, another 1km, maybe? There was then a steep downhill and another climb at about 7K and another climb at 8.5-9.5K. There were also some difficult bits of terrain that didn’t help, and my blisters weren't going anywhere. Whatever doesn’t kill you, right?!
At about 9.3K, the last climb nearly stopped me. I had a panic moment; I had expected to feel relieved and in control by the time I got to 9K, counting the metres down, but I didn’t at all and I felt quite distressed. It wasn’t a conscious decision but my legs just seemed to stop running for a split-second, but I willed them on somehow (I’ve no idea how) and finally, finally, the last climb was over and I knew the finish had to be near. Over the hill and, when I saw the home straight, the doubts went away and I crossed the finish line. It was lovely to have family cheering me over the line.
The other annoying thing was my watch said 9.99K when I finished and I needed to get past that 10K mark, so I ran a little bit further after I had stopped at the finish. It’s just one of those little niggly things I hate; not to cover the distance you set out to, I was even zig-zagging up some of the paths as I knew the km markers were coming earlier than my watch was ticking them off. I know it’s stupid and doesn’t mean anything; of course I could have done another 10 metres if the finish line had been 10 metres further on!
Ah well, a day to remember. In some ways I don’t feel as elated as I thought I would this evening, and I think it’s because of how hard I found it and how very, very, very close I came to walking. The route was such a shock to the system, when I next do a race I definitely want to see a course route so I can look at the uphills and downhills beforehand and prepare better.
But… I did it. In 1:19:41.
And finally on the race, of course, running 10K is nothing compared to the fight against cancer, and I am glad to have been able to raise what I have done for Cancer Research UK, in my small way.
What’s next? Well, I think I’ll give myself a week off, back to parkrun next Saturday after 4 weeks off because of holiday, and today's RfL! I guess I’d like to do a 10K more comfortably somewhere in the future, but I think for a while I want to concentrate on my running form, my strength, while still notching off the 5Ks and hopefully a few PBs there (30 mins would be wonderful).
I am thinking about entering a 10 mile road race next March that's the flagship race in my hometown. But, you know what, that's a decision for another day.
Did my first 10k (or doesn’t it count?)
Ran my first 10K!
Oh no, bad back and a looming 10k race - help!
My first 10k bling
How far do you really run in a race? 
