This weekend was when I paid the price for NEVER thinking before I speak!

I had “exclaimed to the world” that if I ran the first 5k race of the Albany Lakes Summer Series in under 30 minutes that I would up the anti and do the 10k run at race two.

Well as you all know I went under 30 minutes then started panicking because I had never run 10ks before – heck I hadn’t even run longer than 40 minutes in one stretch.

I got a couple of 10k runs under my belt and that helped give me the confidence that I could in fact plod for a decent length of time and that I would be able to do the entire course without stopping to walk.

The biggest worry I had was what I was going to wear … 😉

My goal was to do the course in less than 1:05.   The two “practise” runs I did at this distance I managed in 1:02-1:03 on a relatively flat course so I thought an extra couple of minutes should cover the hills at Albany.

The butterflies in my tummy started dancing when James and I headed to the start chute.

Although James thinks I looked more cold and hungry in this photo than nervous, but you get the idea.

I positioned myself near the front of the pack so that I wouldn’t have to weave around other people – they would be weaving around me.

The first couple of k’s were way quicker than the pace I wanted to plod at so I kept having to tell myself to slow down (and at stages I actually said it out loud to emphasize the point). But I felt really comfortable and I even thought to myself – hmmm I think I could do this running lark.

James was going for PB of under 40 mins so he was obviously miles ahead of me.  I looked out for him on a section where you pass people heading towards the finish line but I didn’t see him, however after he finished he came back out onto the course and ran the last kilometer with me.

And this is how fast he is. He ran with me till I had about 300 m’s to go and turned back and ran the other way so he was on the other side of the finish line so he could take a photo! He ran about 3 times the distance I had to go and did it faster – bless him.

Although he could have done a better job at being the official photographer 😉

I’m simultaneously trying not to die AND stop before bowling over the nice lady handing out water and bananas to the runners. (Oh and I did – thank goodness – Imagine if I had taken out a volunteer – bad karma)!

Are you on the edge of your screen wondering if I came in under my goal? ..

I guess my next goal is “obvious” to get under the hour mark.

Till next time