my first race

three Saturdays ago i ran in my first race ever- the Get in Gear 10k here in Minneapolis. i've been sloooowly increasing my mileage over the last 6 months and wanted to run something that would feel like a challenge, like meeting a goal. i never understood racing- why pay money to run a route you can run any day of the week for free? but i can now confidently say- i get it. it's a totally different feeling to be running with thousands of people in a celebratory atmosphere, vs. plodding along by yourself with just an iPod for company. i don't know if it made me run faster, or if my previous attempts at timing myself by the podcasts i listen to were woefully inaccurate... but i was quite surprised by my results. i was hoping to finish in under 56:00, and this is was really happened.

i guess all the fast 30-34 year old ladies stayed home, because somehow i landed in the top 10% of my division!

the day before, Matt had gotten a new camera in the mail- a digital 8mm. so instead of pictures of my first race, he took some video and edited it into a little film that is pretty great.



other things of note that day:

- it was cold with drizzling and sleeting off and on. i was surprised by the number of seemingly experienced runners wearing garbage bags as rain gear. apparently that's a "thing"- it's insulating and when they get too warm they can just toss 'em. who knew!

- i'm glad i decided not to bring my iPod- with the wet roads, potholes, and weaving through hundreds of runners in the first half mile, i had all the distractions i needed.

- the race route is one that i run on a weekly basis, so i'm very familiar with the landmarks. there is a synagogue near the end and whenever i see it, i think, "yay almost done." when i approached it during the race, there was a guy on the front lawn holding up a sign that said ALMOST DONE! apparently i'm not the only one!

- as i rounded the corner for the Ford Parkway Bridge (less than a mile to go) i was suddenly pretty tired and had to give myself a pep talk. as i crested the top and started jogging down the other side, the music from DJ positioned under the bridge started coming up through the grates. and what was the song i heard as i ran by? Shook You All Night Long by AC/DC. suddenly, i had all the energy i needed.

so what race should i run next? another 10k? a 10-miler? or just wait for the half marathon in October...?