Runstreak Day #231 - Nottingham Women's Running 10k

I survived another race!

Another 10k race.  Which, after the last 10k I did, I had a BIG mental block about.  In fact, although I've run further than 10k, I haven't actually run that distance 'properly' since my dreadful Derby 10k effort.

So, rocking up today, complete with dodgy left knee, I really just wanted to finish.  But... y'know what?  I definitely wasn't as nervous as I have been in the past.  It really helps to know other runners - and through Facebook, I've managed to do just that - and they're brilliant.  We arrange to meet at parkruns.  We've met up at races.  We chat about running in the comfort of a Facebook group where no-one rolls their eyes and goes 'are you talking about bloody running... again?!' at us!  Yes, a race is still a fantastic laxative... but it doesn't terrify me as it did back in April.

And how was the race itself?  Well, it was raining.  And humid.  And it was laps.  Three of them.  Not the two they'd said... but they snuck in a cheeky first little lap before the slightly larger laps.  Which meant that by the time I was on lap three, the geese I was running past practically had me on their Christmas card list we were so well acquainted... and I was sick of the bloomin' sight of them!  I'd set off behind the 50 minute pacer.  Not because I wanted to get a sub-50 time, but because I figured I'd be quicker than 55 minutes, even taking it slowly, and I didn't want to get caught up in a panic-inducing scrum of women.  My twingy left knee did its thing... and even the slightest downward slope (and I mean REALLY slightly sloped) set off some pretty excruciating pain, causing me to run-hop for a few steps until it settled down into a tolerable twang of ouch again.

You can imagine it really wasn't the prettiest of races.  Twang, ouch, rain, sweat, ouch, geese, rain, lap, rain, sweat... nice.  And measuring in kilometres somehow makes it seem that bit further.  Mainly because my brain can't cope with km and I have no idea of how far that really is.  I swear the gap between 7 and 8 km was at least 5 miles.  ;o)

Snapped by the Nottingham Post before the race
with some of my lovely running buddies!

But, it was nice to be running a women-only race.  There's something brilliant about a sea of women being awesome together.  And although I really didn't like the laps, I did like the fact that I got to yell encouragement at my various running buddies as I went round, them heading one way, me the other.  Plus, at the end, I got to clap my hands off and yell really loudly for all the people I knew.  Which was also ace.

Would I do that race again?  I don't know!  The laps were dull and there weren't many people supporting on the way round (though that might have been down to the fact that it was so wet!).  Would I run another race?  Yup!

Oh, and I ended up finishing in 40th place.  Which made me squeal with excitement when I saw my name on the very first page of results!  In a mixed race that would NEVER happen!  No, it wasn't the best time ever... but I managed to haul myself around, got over my 10k fear and didn't walk.  Even when the urge to walk almost overcame me.

I definitely earned my cuppa cha!

Geeky stats stuff

Distance:	6.23 mi
Time:	51:53
Avg Pace:	8:20 min/mi
Elevation Gain:	61 ft