On Setting and Meeting Goals...

When I first started running distance races, my goals were simple: never walk and finish the race. These were pretty easy to attain, since the longest distance I have done is a half marathon. However, as I have started to run more, my goals have gotten more specific. There is always either exhilaration in meeting a goal or disappointment to some level when a goal is not met.

I ran in my first 10k on Saturday and was excited to do so. After thinking about my summer of running, finding out I'm anemic, and then being put on iron pills and feeling stronger, I knew I could turn out a good time for this race. I ran quite a few miles leading up to the race, but decided not to run at all the day before it. I have always ran 1 mile the day before a race, no matter what distance the race was. My goal heading into the race was 49-something. This would be about 8-minute miles, close to the speed I was running last year before my stress fracture.

I am happy to report that I achieved my goal! According to my Garmin, my race time was 49:48, an 8:01 pace. I was so happy that I ran well in the hot and humid water, out in the sun. There was not hardly any shade along the route. There were 500 runners between the 5k and 10k, and I was the 3rd female in for the 10k and got 1st in my age group. Not that the competition was amazing or anything, but it still feels good to have a good race where I was so happy with the result. It has been a hard summer in terms of running, and this made things look so much better again. After my run today, I was thinking how happy I am after running. It is definitely something I am thankful I can do.