I posted this over in the Bridge to 10k Community and IannodaTruffe suggested I posted it here too, in order to encourage those of you who're where I was only a VERY short time ago.
I think these forums (fora?) are such a blessing. I didn't know about this one while I was doing the C25k plan and wish I had because every single run I thought I was dying, had negative thoughts I didn't know were called gremlins, etc... Now I know that all my experiences are common to many, which would have been helpful to know! The B210k forum has been great. When I first wondered aloud on whether I could in fact enter a 10k my cyber-friends, as I think of them, all talked me into it and then encouraged me as I went through the plan.
So now I'm back from my holiday in Majorca, and reflecting on my first 10k on Sunday just past, here's the post that IannodaTruffe wants me to share with you:
"Once again, thank you so much y'all for encouraging me to go for the Palma 10k, and believing in me even though I didn't quite believe in myself. I had six and a half weeks between finding out about it and doing it to get beyond the "Consolidating 5k" stage that I was thinking myself stuck at. You said I could do it and the rest is history...
There was such a great buzz at the event because as well as the 10k there was a marathon and a half-marathon, which we ran parallel to some of the time so there were literally thousands of people there.
Palma is a beautiful city, as you'll know if you've ever been there. The 10k was from more or less where we are in this photo along past the marina for 5k and then back again. Nice and flat. The half marathon was that plus a run round the old town which was twisty and a bit hilly. The marathon was two loops of the half marathon course.
Him Indoors, who's not a runner, graciously agreed to run with me. He is an uber-fit cyclist and could have bounded ahead, gazelle-like, but stayed with me and even tried to let me cross the line ahead of him, though I didn't let him. My chip time was 1 hour 10 minutes 25 seconds which was okay really, considering I was so hot and bothered I'd had to have a few short walk breaks.
As you see we dressed for the occasion. As we ran, the occasional spectator shouted, "Come on, Scotland!" which gave us a wee extra burst of energy. Strangely enough I didn't see a single other kilt the whole time. Odd that, eh? Anyway, I had bought the kilt for the Perth Kilt Run back in August and assumed I would never have another use for it. But then I thought it would be ideal for covering the spare tyre I still keep under my running shorts...
And that brings me to my other news. That spare tyre's days are numbered. In spite of two weeks eating and drinking everything in sight in Majorca, I managed to lose a pound and so tonight I am proud and happy to announce that I have now lost three stones. I started the diet at more or less the same time as I started C25k (end Jan/ beg Feb) so it's been quite a year for me.
Next step is to carry on with Parkrun and also to consolidate the 10k distance so I can at least do it more easily if not faster too.
"
If you can run 5k, you can run 10k
Half Marathon Do-able (if I can move after today)
You CAN do it!
Who's building a portfolio of events for this year?
You can do it
