Memoirs of a Race(a) - Run Kildare 2011

With June 6th fast approaching, two weeks ago I decided it was time to up the game in the running stakes. So, with the guidance of Run Like a Girl (RLaG) ace Raedi Higgins, I jumped from 5km to 7km. That is not as easy as it sounds. With the help of a friend I have kept at the 7km distance... he upped the pace one night. My legs didn't know what hit them.

I then decided it was time to do an actual race to get an idea of what I'm facing at the mini marathon. So I signed up for the Run Kildare 10km last weekend. Before the race there was a feeling of great excitement and nervousness. Would I really be able to do this? How long would it take? What will it feel like when I finish? Would I wimp out at the last minute? The excited, nervous feeling left me unable to sleep on Saturday night, so when 6am rolled around on Sunday morning it felt more like having to get up for work on Monday. After some "I don't want to get up" whining I dragged myself out of bed, had a small breakfast and headed off to Kildare, stopping en route to collect another RLaG-er.

We got to the Curragh around 9am and the race started around 9.45am. There was a huge bustle of excitement at the racecourse. Men and women of all ages were stretching and warming up, ready to take on the challenge. Irish summers being what the are, the weather was awful. It was wet and cold. Thankfully the rain stopped just before the race started and held off for the duration.

When the horn sounded to start the race, all 800+ of us headed off down the entrance to the racecourse and out onto the Curragh. Passing the marker for the first km I though, "This isn't so bad." Passing 3km I thought, "See, you can do this." Between 3km and 7km there was another entrant who kept passing me out and getting a bit of distance, then she would stop and walk. Then I'd pass her out and the whole thing would start again. I started to get competitive in my head and told myself I wasn't coming in behind her! Somewhere after 5km I hit a glitch, I pulled one of my glutes which slowed me to a walk for a while. There was no way I was walking the rest of the race though so altered my pace between running and walking quickly. Most of the race was spent running into the wind as well which added to the difficulty (and the fun).

When I came within about 2km of the finish line I got a sudden burst of joy and energy. I was about to finish my first 10km race. Six months ago I'd have been the first to laugh at the idea. Coming up to the finish line was amazing. People lined on either side of the track cheering you on, the Chariots of Fire theme playing in my head. After crossing the finish line, finding Elaine and getting our medals we headed back to Dublin, delighted with ourselves. I went into town to meet my Dad and sister and treated myself to gluten free pizza. I was in bed by 8.30pm that night, exhausted, but so glad that I had done the race.

I can't wait for the mini marathon!