Bucket List: 10 Miles

After running my last 5k last in September I was inspired to try something I had never done before. Something I honestly wasn't sure I could do...

I've always been a runner and I would say I even enjoy it. But in short distances. (I get bored easily). Plus, my left knee has a mind of it's own after 3 surgeries...

But some close friends, my sister, and my guardian angel inspired me to do it. 

So about 5 weeks ago I started training and I registered for the Monster Dash 10 mile race on 10/27/12. I ran my short runs at home in the morning on the treadmill. It's awfully dark in the mornings this time of year. I did my long runs on Saturday mornings - 4 at the Lakes, and the last one in Cedar Falls, IA around campus. A special thank you to Ben for being so supportive. The hardest part of training for something like this is the TIME it takes to train.

I had been running 3-ish miles each time I ran so I started out with a Saturday 5 mile, then a Saturday 6, followed by a Saturday 7, a Saturday 8 and then the last Saturday before the race I ran 6 (and even managed to drag Ben along with me!). During the week I would run between 2 and 4 miles between 2 and 3 times per week. The last week before the race I didn't run at all - I was in bed for 1.5 days with some sort of sinus infection and a fever. But I told myself there was NO way I was going to train and not be able to run the race, so I somehow got over it in time.

I had been training at a very unimpressive 10:30/mile pace. Having been sick, I was hoping to keep it under 11:00 minutes/mile. But I surprised myself and finished in 1:38, which is a 9:52/mile pace. Again, I have some sort of ADD, and I have a hard time doing anything for 1 hour and 38 minutes. 

http://www.mtecresults.com/runner/show?rid=4353&race=1225

There were 10,000 runners running the 10 mile and the 1/2 Marathon. I was so thankful to have my cheering squad at miles 4, 7, and the finish line!

The boys' favorite part was going out for pancakes after the race!

The race felt good. Miles 6 and 7 were the hardest, but I did it! Without baby Frank, I never would have "found" time to do this - and I'm so glad I did. I got a little emotional at the start of the race thinking about all of the ways he's changed my life....And for that, I am grateful.