...cue the chariots of fire soundtrack in the background, for what was -for me at least, an epic run!
After a couple of weeks of finding it difficult to follow my training plan properly, being on holiday and my babies starting teething, which made for a bit of uncertainty in my ability to actually do the distance, I stood at the starting line of my local-ish and thankfully flat Larkfield 10k.
Started right at the end of the pack of runners and made a conscious effort to keep my pace slow and steady throughout - the key target being to finish and never mind the time. Took a while to get in rhythm but after 2k or so I felt good and kept going. Past the halfway mark of this 2 lap course I was still feeling strong and after some water I kept going. I managed to pass quite a few of the people who went flying off at the start in the process, which felt great! I'll never be proper fast but I enjoy knowing I'm not last...
The difficult part was km 8 &9, I was tired, feeling it in my legs and struggling, but so determined to finish. I found a second wind in km 9 and approached the finish line...and there waiting for me were my wife and 4 month old twins! What a wonderful surprise, it really gave me wings and I finished stronger than I felt at any time in the race!
My birthday is tomorrow and I can't think of a better gift, than this new version of myself who can run for 10k for the first time in my life!
Thank you to everyone in here for the help and support and in particular to the people on Strava - you know who you are. I wouldn't have made it here without you-thank you.
And now...onwards and upwards! After some cake