In January of this year I did my Bucket list with 3 running goals: beat my personal marathon PB, half marathon PB and 10K PB.. I am of long distance runner, since I stopped to compete in track that only I touch when I train sometimes.
The first goal was achieved running the London marathon in 3h 23mins, finishing with energy despite being dragged by my calf injury a few months. After the half marathon came, it would not be until this past October when after the low season of the summer enjoying the sunshine and beach life, keeping active myself as my nature need but without competitions, I looked for a race that would fit me in the search engine of the platform @letsdothis , which I am an ambassador, by the way! .I found Victoria Park and I knew it would be fast because I had already done several 10k there, although being the first race of the season I didn't feel really fit, until I made 2 mesocicles of high level of demand including 1,000m, 400m and fatlek series .
I got 1,000m sets in 3'48 "and I didn't believe it, since it came from my break, I felt more energetic than in the marathon series. Definitely the training volume was different, which makes your body assimilate in a different way.
Still, I plan the race competing against myself as always, thinking that I would be testing the pace during the race. The first kms were around 4'00 "and I knew it was convenient to try before go ahead, so I slowed down to 4'20" maximum to keep checking that my legs would not load in the next kms.
The high rate was going well, something that it was good and listening to my body I kept chasing the head group, having as reference the 6 female that I thought I had in front of me, as it was and also a 10k and we were doing 8 laps and that yes, it was killing me!
I was motivated "hunting one by one" runner but the last two resisted me and although I had a mental downturn on km 18, slowing down because the turns became eternal, listening to the back runner stepping on my heels, I was motivated to increase the pace.
Finally there were only 2kms left and the runner passed me! I thought about giving my all energy since I knew that my goal of getting down from 1h 30 mins (4 mins less than my brand) was close to be in or out. It was hard but not so much at muscular level, something that continues to surprise me because with lack of long workouts at that pace, the muscles are loaded normally maintaining a rhythm above the usual, but it worked out for me.
Objective accomplished: 1h 30 mins 02 seconds and first woman of the race! I just wanted to improve my personal best of 1h 34mins last year, but I must say that to be the first race and the previous runner was doing 10k, it motivated me a lot to compete healthily as always supporting each other as runners, as females , but not as enemies to get our goals working as a team
Now play the 10k and I have 2 months left .. Will I get it?
Leave me your comments!
A lot of running love.
Miriam J
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