A couple weeks ago I was messaging with Mudita11 about meeting up for Parkrun when she mentioned the New Forest Marathon 10k.....and suggested I do it! By which time I was half way through the form to enter 🤣🤣🤣. Once entered I started to wonder who I thought was, what me? Running a race? An event with other running people? Hmm lots of doubts about this.
A week later talking to @Happyhays, I explained I'd booked a hotel for the Saturday night and suggested she come too! Before I knew it she had signed up for the 5k, her C25k graduation run.
Anyway to cut a long story short and get to the race, we drove to the New Forest on Saturday, had a lovely swim in the hotel pool and went out for a very enjoyable dinner.
We settled really early, me to read and Hayley to watch a bit of TV.
Sleep came and then went away again, but that's life.
This morning our alarms went off at 7.30am and we got ourselves ready, it took a little longer than expected but we were off in plenty of time, traffic was heavy but we did ok.
First race, lots of butterflies, knowing that I can run/walk 10k in under 2 hours, but what if I can't? I know it's about my limit but what if it's too much? You know, the usual stuff going round in our heads.
We met up with Mudita11 Dexy5 UpTheStanley and a short while after linda9389 caught up with us. Introductions, chat, and before we knew it our time to warm up had arrived.
I took myself towards the back, did jogging on the spot, squats, lunges, side thingys And then it was time for the off .
The lack of sleep and lack of food was noticeable, the rain came down, refreshing after all the hot weather we'd had. Through the forest we went, I caught up with a lady who was walking briskly, we had a chat, she said she probably wouldn't be able to keep up that pace, she did, she later overtook me and after another chat she went on .
I caught up with a young lady run/walking, she was walking faster than me but I caught her up when we both ran. 😁 we chatted a bit and we agreed that it was hard work. We could see the back of the pack and for a while we were catching them up....don't know where they went but they disappeared round a corner never to be seen again.
There was an ambulance picking up a guy at the 5k point, hope he's ok.
The young lady and I passed each other several times with words of encouragement until about 8k and I could no longer catch her up when running.
Most of the run was woodland with gravelly paths and puddles. Then I arrived at a road, oh bliss, ran and felt great. The Marathoners passed me on that road and several patted me iyn the shoulder and said things like, well done, and, keep going.
I was tiring fast, regular sips of water and some jelly babies didn't seem to help much.
My headphones lost connection here and never found it again but I wasn't really listening anyway.
More road, this time the Half Marathoners ran past, lots more encouragement and I couldn't keep up with them either, but I was nearing the end, hot, wet, tired but happy.
My first race done, I wasn't last but not far off, I was the slowest in my age group which was a little disappointing but someone has to be. I've made my plan for next year 🤣🤣🤣
I ended the run tired and dehydrated, I didn't feel great, sips of water weren't helping, the half banana I managed to eat didn't help, Happyhays agreed to drive home, I opened a packet of crisps I really didn't want but after forcing 3 down I felt loads better, ate the packet, finished the banana then some chocolate and we chatted about our great weekend and both our first race and the wonderful VRB's we met up with today .
Run happy or rest well, and remember, sleep, hydration and a bit of salt make a huge difference.
I forgot to say, UpTheStanley wore his hat and ran very fast, I need a hat like that,.
Written by
SueAppleRun
10 Miles
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Just fabulously fantastic....what a wonderful post...a wonderful meet up and you!!!A wonderful, wonderful run!!!
You recovered quite quickly afterwards...that is so good..and I think even if you don't sleep well tonight, the happy memories of today will help you rest easy.
I thought you’d be first to post SueAppleRun ! You should be so proud of yourself. The time doesn’t matter as you completed it and you have done your first official race and got a medal and T-shirt. There are lots of websites online where you search for races near you so you might be able to find something a bit closer next
Yes I was awake at 05:30, an hour before alarm time! Most of us don’t sleep well the night before, so it’s good to try and get good sleep during the week. But you were so excited. 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Thanks Dexy5 I didn't eat this morning either, I'd like to do that one next year and get better at it but we will see, sometimes I sleep, sometimes I don't, same pattern since end of March. I was cold when I got home so hot bath and now wearing my lovely warm hoodie 😊
That I've learned, I meant to have a banana before and had several with me but wasn't hungry and forgot, next time I'll take something salty on a run that long
Congratulations Sue on completing your first 10K at the New Forest event, you should be very proud of yourself, in the photo above I recognise UpTheStanley and Dexy5, which bib number are you?, it's a lovely photo.
What a wonderful report. Taking part in a race is quite different from just going for a run as you clearly discovered. Highs and lows, but you know what to expect next time and you did brilliantly
Sounds like you've had a great time. Even the things that went wrong are a learning curve for you and Happyhays. How lucky are you having such a great running companion?
Well done and on running your first competitive 10km. And to Happyhays as well. I don’t know how you ran with the heat . And well done to all who run with you. 👏👏😊
What a lovely post Sue, I’m so pleased you and Happyhays enjoyed yourselves today - congratulations to you for completing your first ‘proper’ race and Happyhays for her C25K graduation! I’m sorry I couldn’t be there to run with you, that will have to wait for another occasion!
Brilliant Sue! Sounds like you all had a marvellous time, but yes it might be wise to eat breakfast before a race as late as that. The crisps did the trick afterwards - I often crave salt after a race.
Tailwind or SIS electrolyte tablets are great to add to your water and some even contain caffeine too. It’s good to experiment to see what works best for you, as it certainly isn’t one size fits all.
Hope all goes well with the cataract removal-I know several people who have been so happy with the result. As you say, time to plan, read posts and running articles .
You run in some lovely places-to see them without the mistiness is going to add a whole new level of pleasure to your runs when you get back to it! And all those "planning" walks whilst you are waiting to return....
Good luck with that. I've been waiting since my optician referred me back in March! I had my assessment back in July but still haven't had a date to get it fixed
My details went for "case review" for some reason - I don't know why as I was never told. The optometrist said it shouldn't mean more than a weeks delay but evidently it can take up to 12 weeks!!
Congratulations SueAppleRun on a fantastic 10k event! Your first...what a lovely location to run in, and with real life running buddies too. 🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♂️🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️
A smashing report to read, you did so well running on empty. I hope that feeling of acheivement as you crossed the finish line and were handed your medal gave you a huge boost, and that you recover well. Your time is irrelevent you ran the same distance as the others!🏅👏👏👏👏
Sounds like you were so nervous beforehand, you didn’t sleep very well and couldn’t eat but, for similar reasons, really enjoyed the experience.
It’s interesting comparing that with my approach which is to eat and drink well the day before (and in the morning), trust in the training that I’ve done (because it’s far too late to do anything about that) and run at a pace that’s comfortable for me. The result is a very relaxed outlook.
I think my approach has advantages in that I can sleep and I don’t have problems with food but I think your approach beats mine in terms of pure enjoyment!
I take water with a pinch of salt and some lime (or lemon) juice in it.
Although, what I was really getting at is that the way you approach the race affects how much nervous energy you have so, to some extent, it’s a choice. However, I think you are likely to be calmer on the next one because it won’t be your first race.
To me, the biggest difference is that, with smaller events, it’s usually a mass start so you know that the runners around you have averaged the same pace as you. With larger events, the start tends to be done in waves (or a continuous start over an hour or more) so it’s hard to tell where you are compared to the runners around you.
I guess it’s a blessing that the size of the event doesn’t really affect me (although it’s good being able to chat to fellow medal wearers afterwards). Think the biggest event I’ve run in had 13,000 entrants (not that I saw many of them!)
Brilliant, Sue! And such a gorgeous medal. I’m sure you were excited and anxious at the same time. A great first event for you in such a beautiful place. I’m so envious.
How wonderful to meet up with other forum members.too! And to go with Happyhays, what a great idea to do her graduation run there. (And handy for her to drive home! 😊)
You must be on a high! And you kept to your plan and took it steady. Perfect!
Go you!! I’m so glad you got round this course Sue. Your modesty belies an inner strength, confidence and belief that is growing all the time. Well done! 👏👏👏
Thank you Brian, as to signing up for another race I'm not sure, as I was staggering around dehydrated on legs that didn't seem to belong to me I was talking about what I'll do differently next year though 🤣🤣🤣so you never know, I have my training plan in place 😁
Fantastic run Sue and a lovely post and a great looking medal. It sounds like a nice course too though you prefer the tarmac. Really well done, especially as you were nervous, underfed and dehydrated. I reckon you have the racing bug now 😀Another wonderful HU meetup too, I'm more than a teeny bit jealous.
Big congrats to Happyhays too. What a brilliant way to do your graduation run. That one will certainly stick in the memory 😃
It was really great thanks, I actually loved the track running through the trees, it just felt lovely to run part of it on tarmac, if it started on the road it would have started smooth and faster. When we run by the river it's similar underfoot
Well DONE you ! A wonderful achievement, especially after the last months you've and how lovely to meet VRB's in the flesh. It was hot and humid🥵 so that will have made a big difference and as for forgetting to eat ...🤪!! Congratulations 🤗🥳👏.Ps good luck with the cataract op xx
What a wonderful experience SAR. The running is important, but only one of the positives from a race day. Meeting old friends and new, dealing with the unexpected and walking off with the bling are only a few of the many benefits! Pre race hydration and food intake (regardless of how you feel) are critical, as you will have learned. It doesn’t always go as planned though. Cheeky and I had the the densest ever porridge pre run at the VRB mass invaded GSR last year. Most of the added energy was required to carry the additional weight! We all finished the race though. This will be the first of many for you.
Whoop whoop 👏👍🥳 great report, great result, well done!
That that’s fab looking bling and tee-shirt too!
It was a hot day so running would feel harder. When you race again (and I’m sure you will 🙂) and it’s cooler, you’ll notice a big difference how you feel.
Electrolyte drinks are good for hot weather (HIGH5 or just add a pinch of salt and fruit juice to water).
Well done to @Happyhays too, she must be thrilled to do her graduation run at such a special event.
In years to come, your lovely photos will be a reminder of a memorable day 😍
Well done on your first event Sue. The eating and drinking thing is a bit of a conundrum isn’t it. I started out my running journey running on empty and in many ways still prefer that for a short run, but not for runs over 5k. I find slow release carbs, such as Bircher muesli soaked in apple juice and yogurt, work well as a pre run breakfast. I then take bits of non chocolatey cereal bar with me. You just have to experiment to find out what works for you.
Whoop whoop, very well done Sue 👏🎊...conquered your nerves, enjoyed the race and finished well despite the lack of sleep, lack of food and the heat causing dehydration!
Lol, sounds like it's a miracle you got round when I read that back 🤣, well done again 👏
You were fantastic! What a first race!!! I love that you're planning next year, that says it all. Lovely to meet you and be a tiny part of your very first event 🥰
Just everything about this is fabulous! The bling (yaaay), the event experience, meeting up with VRBs, a new venue, it sounds amazing. And huge congratulations for completing that 10K in those conditions. I suspect you'll need to get one of those medal hanger thingys for the bling you'll start accumulating....😊😁
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