Aug 15, 2012

10k Clinic Practice Run - Take 1


My 10k Clinic started last week but I wasn't able to make it or make it this past Sunday so today was my first run with the group. It was scheduled to be 6k, I ended up running just about 5 and then walked in the last 1k. I was very, very, very nervous about this clinic. 

I think I've mentioned before that I run very S-L-O-W-L-Y and I was not sure that joining the 10k clinic was the right move for me, but I was encouraged by my friend Melissa and my Learn to Run Instructor, Carol, to try it. They both said I don't have to be fast, I just have to keep going. So I decided to give it a shot and Melissa joining with me was icing on the cake.

I needn't have worried. I *was* the slowest and at one point I thought the Learn To Run runners were going to pass me, and they may have if they had continued in the same direction as me, but they turned shortly before actually catching up to me.  But the instructor, Dan, was very nice and made sure I didn't get lost (as well as being slow, I have zero sense of direction) and he ran the last km with me and I did not feel the least bit ridiculous for being so slow.  On our way back we saw a deer!

Tomorrow night we are doing 6k again and I think I will be better able to do the whole 6k. Tonight's route had a couple of long hills, and tomorrow night is a flat route through Dundas to see some of the Cactus Festival Parade. I think that will be fun! Its hard to tell in this picture, but the front and back of my tee shirt were soaked, the sun was very hot. Before the clinic I had walked 2k from the bus stop to the Running Room store so I got some good exercise in today.



Leigh, Ron (a Running Room employee) and Monica (another woman in my 10k) clinic have me just about convinced to do the Cactus Festival 5k this coming Sunday. I had pretty much decided to sit it out, mostly because of transportation issues but both Leigh and Monica are doing the race and have offered to give me rides so I'm leaning towards doing it now. I do like doing races with people I know, even though we don't run together during the race, it is a nice sense of cameraderie.

4 comments:

  1. I just joined my first RR clinic the half one. And I was scared that I was going to be the slowest one in the group and you know what I am. And I don't even run that slow. About 6:30-6:45km on average. But it is a very fast group but thankfully that there are two other ladies that run the same speed as me.
    But I have also heard that the 10km clinic starts off pretty quick as in from distance. You are doing great!

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  2. Run the race with us already! Why just this morning, Jules asked when he was going to see you again:)

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  3. I love that you didn't let being slow stop you from doing it!

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  4. Kudos to you on the running! I gave it a try and haven't gotten past a minute of straight running, no matter how slow I seem to make it! I know I should keep trying but for right now, due to some ankle issues, the walking works for me. Maybe next year I'll have a stronger ankle and some better luck. You are doing great & you'll conquer that 10K in no time from the sounds of things:-)

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