But most recently, I finally ran the 10K I have been training for.
The day before I had to travel north from work to pick up my shirt and my bib.
Friday, I got home from work, changed into my running clothes and proceeded to take a long nap (because let's be honest I'm not a night person. I'm a morning person). At 9:15 PM, I made sure I had everything with me and headed up to the Davis County Fairgrounds. I arrived with 15 minutes to spare before the race began. I got my iPod set, went and put on my glow stick bracelets and necklace and stood out in the starting area feeling a bit lonely. I couldn't see any of my friends who had signed up with me.
The race started. I had set my iPod to run a 10K. I was pretty proud as the notifications came through. "You've completed 1 kilometer." "You've completed 2 kilometers."
My pace was awesome. I was FLYING! I knew this was going to be my best time. I was going to run this whole thing.
But then my iPod told me I had run 5 kilometers. It was an out and back race so that's where we should turn around. But there was no turn around.
I thought my calibration might be a little off on my iPod so I kept going. And going. And going.
By the time the turn around came, my iPod had already notified me that I only had 3 kilometers to go. But I knew better. I had a lot farther to go. I cursed my iPod. Stupid thing. Stupid calibration. It was so off. SO OFF!! And why was I having a hard time going so far. I needed water. Why did I need so much water?
I ended up walking and cursing and crying. I was REALLY mad at myself. I also knew that there wasn't going to be anyone waiting for me at the finish line and so it just made me feel even more awful. I realized that it was a night run and most people have fun plans on a Friday night, but it was my second run and I had hoped that someone would come out to cheer me on and give me a pat on the back. But then I decided that I didn't want anyone to see me because I was walking and crying. It was an awful cycle.
(Here's the one shot you'll see of me. At the end. Please no comments about the bulging butt or the stomach rolls.)
By the end, I was defeated. I wanted to quit but I didn't. I immediately went to the restroom. While there, I overheard two women talking about how the course was actually 8 miles instead of a 10K. I heard it and wondered if it was true. If it really was longer than what I had trained for.
I went to my car and drove home, fuming the whole way at my lack of ability. I had trained and failed (in my mind).
Sure enough, they had accidentally marked it as a 8.4 mile course rather than the normal 6.2 mile course. I was pretty bitter about it. Still am.
I took a break from running this week, but I'm trying to find the next 10K race to sign up for, because now I have a need to prove that I can actually do it. Anyone have a suggestion?
