After signing up for the 2018 half marathon, I decided I wanted to train NOW and not wait. Having a big goal lit a fire under my booty. I’m lifting like I want to be a bikini competitor and running like I want to be a half marathoner. Two totally different sports and most would recommend concentrating on 1 but I am determined to be strong and to develop as a decent runner. Chances of me winning an IFBB pro card or placing overall in a race are so darn low so why not train for the both goals and enjoy the process?! With that said, if I lifted hard and competed in regional and national fitness competitions for a few years, my chances are better there as I will never run a 6-7 minute mile but I’ve managed to place in a national fitness competition in 2010!
Back to running! I managed to break my own 13 year old 10K personal record (PR) last Saturday! In 2004, when I was a young thing, dancing as a pro, working in fitness full time, and coaching a dance team, I found a way to fit in running so I could train for the 2004 Atlanta Half Marathon. This was my first real go at running (I tried briefly when I was a teenager but it was a big fail as I didn’t know what I was doing when it came to shoes, training, etc. and there was no internet at the time).
2004-FIRST 10k: My first 10k was the US 10K Classic, a tough, hilly race but fun and I’m so sad they stopped putting on this event years ago. I was a few months into my training and finished with a time of 1:02:18. At this point, I was 2 months out from my 1st Thanksgiving half marathon. Unfortunately, a couple of weeks after my 10K, I ended up with a stress fracture and slowly watched my running gains fade away. I didn’t run again until 2012.
2012-SECOND 10k: My second 10k occurred at the 2012 Peachtree Road Race. I wasn’t trained for it at all so I walked most of it and finished with a time of 1 hour 39 seconds.
2017-RECENT 10K PR: I ran at a smaller race event on July 1 because I didn’t feel mentally ready to take on the Peachtree Road Race. I’ve been training consistently since mid-May and was curious if I could get close to my 2004 time but I’m 13 years older + I’ve been training for 6 weeks so I just wanted to finish!
Not only did I beat my 2004 PR time, I ended up in 2nd place in my age group! Since the runner who won the OVERALL female award was in my age group, I got bumped up to 1st place.
I am pleased with my progress so far! I’m 6 weeks out from the August half marathon and I have a 6K lined up in a couple of weeks. Not sure adding a 6K race was the smartest move so close to the half, but signing up for races keeps me motivated (I love the competitive environment and the swag) and ensures I continue my training runs. Plus, it gets me use to race day jitters!
After beating a 13 year old PR, I feel like anything is possible. Cheers to another 6 weeks of kicking booty!
