BUT today I feel very proud of moi and I just have to brag about it.
I ran a 10K today!!!!!!!
Yup, that's TEN KILOMETERS!!!!!!!
(6.2 miles)
It's all thanks to Jen actually. Ever since running the Parisienne three months ago, the idea of running a longer distance had been zooming around in the back of my mind although I wasn't really sure of how or where to go about it. And then Jen wrote me an email while we were in Asia last month asking me if I'd like to join her and a few of her work colleagues for a 10K race disguised as Santas....
Well, I have to admit I wasn't particularly keen at the idea of making a spectacle of myself by running in red pijamas and a fake beard, but I was very much interested in seeing if I could (literally) go the distance and the idea of doing so during a not so serious (at least it seemed like so to me at the time) race seemed like the perfect opportunity to try this out. So I told Jen to count me in.
I can't really say that I "trained" for the race but I have been pretty strict about hitting the gym 4 times a week and hitting the 8,5km mark on the treadmill each time, so I was feeling good about the distance and even somewhat confident that I wasn't going to pass out right in the middle. In fact, my challenge was actually to make it to the finish line in under an hour because that would mean I'd run faster than my usual times at the gym.
Jen and I decided not to wear the whole Santa gear after all (although her colleagues really did play the game and went all out!) and instead went for more stylish (and easy to run in) golden garlands which we fasten around our necks like sparkling scarfs. Good thing too because it was FREEZING this morning and even paper thin scarfs wrapped around our necks felt better than nothing. It turns out that someone up there thought it would be pretty funny to have it snow in Paris on the day that I was going to run my first ever 10K. Whatever, I decided I was gonna do it and so be it if my fingers froze off while doing it (they didn't though... turns out running gets your body temp up by km1!).
When we got to the place where the race was kicking off there were literally hundreds of Santas all warming up at the start line... it was pretty funny and I kicked myself for not having charged my camera's battery the night before. Hubby came along and took some pics from his iPhone, but unfortunately nothing worth the hassle of uploading to iPhoto and then downloading to Blogger...
Turns out we weren't the only ones that were bending the rules... there were runners decked out in pretty awesome (and not exactly very santa-y) costumes. We saw running Eiffel Towers, running Presents, running Ducks and even running Ghostbusters (complete with proton packs and everything) -- again, kicking myself for absence of camera.
You'd think that all this festive mood would make the race somewhat less serious but nuh-uh... ten kilometers are ten kilometers no matter what you're wearing and I made it a point of honor to not stop during the entire time. Even when we went up that big hill around km4. Even when we went up that big hill again around km 8 and I thought my lungs were going to explode. Not even when I slapped my legs and thought for a second they'd run off without me cuz I couldn't feel them anymore. Not even then did I stop. I made it to the finish line. And even better, I made it to the finish line in under an hour. In 59min and 55sec if you must know which is officially under an hour. Jen did great too, she finished in under 59 minutes... 58mins to be exact... Grrrr! (-- just kidding Jen, congrats girl!! ;D)
So lets recap: a) Freezing weather, b) Awful hill (twice) and c)10 kms in under 1hr
Me proud.
Fned.
7 comments:
And d) With a big metalic boa that was going every which way. Not exactly optimal racing conditions!
I'm kicking myself for not taking more pics before the race, since the ones I took during didn't turn out so well and afterwards I was too tired and anyway people didn't look as fresh.
And I think your race time may have been about a minute better than that. We'll see when they post the results but seriously, you came in just 5 seconds after me.
Good race, SANTITA!!! BURSTING WITH PRIDE FOR YOU!
Ahhh, congrats! That's awesome, girl, and your time is not half bad either (faster than mine last year, and I didn't have hills or costumes to contend with). Plus you look far too cute in that picture for someone who's just run 10k. You definitely should be proud of yourself, it's a big accomplishment!
I think you should get bonus points for being adorable in your jacket. Way to go!!! Running 10k is no small feat.
Jen: Thanks again girl, for inviting me to do this. It feels real good to have finished it and I'm sure I would have never signed up for this race all on my own! Can't wait for the next!! ;)
Minshap: THANKS MOM!!
Emily: You might not believe me, but ever since reading about your and Kyle's 10K race last year, I'd been wanting to do one too.. after reading your posts I felt like suddenly it seemed possible to run such a ridiculously long distance!! So thanks girl!! I hope one day we get to run in a race in the same city!!! ;)
Fned.
Kyle: ahahah... guess who threw a FIT in the store when I wanted to buy that jacket.. yep... him.... but hey, it's pink... IT HAD TO BE MINE!!!!!!!! LOL (and thanks girl!)
Fned.
Wow! that was pretty amazing! and let me tell you that the way you wrote the story, it really motivates people! I have being going to the gym in the morning but ugh.. nowhere near to what you did (I walk hehe) Way to go Fned!
Congrats!!!!
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