After 2 months of training completed and a stone of weight lost since January, the day of the Nairn 10K was finally upon me. However it approached rapidly and I was just ever so slightly nervous.
With my training schedule building up from 2 miles a day to 5-7 miles a day I thought that I should be adequately prepared. However in the 2 months that I had trained I had never actually completed 6.2 miles (10K) in one go without stopping. This was not down to me being unable to (I hope), but down to my training plan, which had me taking breaks in between (to improve my recovery time, I guess). A week before the race, it dawned on me that I might not be able to complete the run without stopping, yikes!! So on the Monday before the race I thought it was about time I went for a nice 6.5 mile run, and thankfully I completed it without a stop.
With my previous 6.5 mile under my belt and race day here, I was hoping to complete the race in 55 mins or under. I was also hoping that I wouldn't come last or injure myself. With the nerves building my professional camera team arrived at the house. When I say professional, I mean that my sister took a photography class at school. With Dawn and Murray clicking away I was sure to have some great pics of my first 10K.
2pm arrived and it was time to head into town. A quick warm up and stretch, and before I knew it the race was due to start. Ipod and headphones on and I was ready to race. The horn blow and the race was on. I was relatively close to the front of the start line, which meant I managed to get off quite quickly. The downside to this though, which I subsequently found out, was that the super fast runners are usually at the start and therefore I would never be able to catch anyone up.
I found the first 2 miles the toughest as I was unable to catch anyone up and I was constantly being overtaken (by everyone, it seemed). I had grey haired men overtaking, older ladies, young men and woman, and probably even children. After the 2 mile mark though the competitors had spread out and there were only a few more that managed to get past me. At the 3 mile mark I was happy that I was half way round and also sad, as I had the same distance to run again. The 4 mile mark came and went and this is where I managed to overtake my first competitor. It gave me a small boost of speed and morale for the next mile or so. Just before the 5 mile mark I once again overtook my second and unfortunately my last competitor. As I entered the town I knew I was almost home. With 500m to go I picked up the pace and entered the high street at what I thought was a reasonably fast pace before crossing the finish line.
I recorded my time as completing the race in 50 mins and 32 sec, which I was quite chuffed with. Not only because I was 5 mins faster than I hoped, but because Murray said he would give the charity £10 if I completed the race in 50 mins or less. Result! I am still waiting on my official time and position to be posted on the net, but I will publish it here when it becomes available.
Overall it was an enjoyable experience and I received a medal at the end - which I wasn't expecting (easily pleased). The Nairn 10K as a goal, has helped me prepare for my next run and ultimately the 100 Mile Stage Race. My next big run is the Edinburgh half marathon in May, so back to the training on Tuesday.
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