Another Running Milestone

So with now being able to consistently run 5K distance in under 30 minutes, one of my goal for 2013 is to compete in a 10K race. But as I did with the 5K distance, I wanted to set a time goal before I started looking for a race. My goal = under 60 minutes.

I had previously attempted the 10K distance 3 times prior today, each time in the 62 minute range. Not bad, but I knew I had to overcome the 60 minute barrier in my mind to feel I could really do it in a race (don't ask me why - my mind works in strange ways!).

So Sunday has become my 10K running day, as I don't have the urgency to get back to work like I do during the week. And in spite of being a day off, I was awake at 5:30AM this morning trying to figure out in my mind how I was going to break the 60 minute barrier today. Then it hit me: Like a complex project, I needed to break my run into smaller components. So my initial plan was essentially six-1 mile runs, with the 2/10th mile part at the end to get me to 10K. So my goal was to be at 6 miles at 58:00, leaving me 2 minutes to book the last 2/10 mile.

So for the first 3.10 miles, this worked like a charm. In fact, what I did was go back to running for blocks of time (10 minutes), then take a 1 minute "fast walk" break. Anyway, I was in the 29:30 range for 5K, so I knew I was in the hunt.

Then fatigue set in! As I had noticed in my previous 10K runs, the "voices" began to talk to me, telling me I was tired, and that this idea of running this distance in under 60 minutes was silly! So while I did not give in, I did start taking short 30 second fast walk breaks every 5 minutes, and that helped a lot!!

I hit 6 miles at just a little over minutes (I think it was 58:10) so I knew I could do it. Cranked the treadmill from the steady 6.5 mph I had run at to that point to 6.8, then to 7.0 for that last 10th, and happily hit 6.2 miles at 59:52!!

I was reading my previous running posts, and it was just a little over a year ago (2/28/2012 to be precise!), when I was able to run 5K in under 40 minutes! I remember how at the time that was HUGE! I found my first 5K race to run on April 21, and I have not looked back!

I'm pretty sure I was pretty tired back on 2/28/12, but today -- I am REAL tired!! But very happy! And now I'll start looking for a 10K race to run!!