My first 10k race kit
As to how fast I was, I didn’t care. So much. Well, I aimed for a modest 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Kernan and I were up early. He wanted to have some warm ups, I just wanted to catch a bit more sleep in the parking lot. I wanted to preserve all my energy, I had a long run ahead. At least for my beginner standards.
When I finally went to the assembly area, it was refreshing to see a different set of runners. There was something different about runners in the higher categories. They look more serious. More determined.
I felt confident even a few minutes before the gun start. And when I finally stepped on the starting mat, I smiled. This is it.
I let all the other runners run past me. I used to feel bad when that happens and I’d try to run faster. But this time, I had more important things to do than to satisfy my ego. I wanted to finish this race. And I wanted to finish it strong.
I looked at the road ahead, I glanced at the buildings around me. If I wanted to finish this race, I gotta enjoy and do some sight seeing. I needed to take my mind away from how far away I still was from the finish line or I’d easily get tired.
When I had to run on the first flyover, I was still smiling. It was still dark and the air was cool. I had plenty of energy to burn.
Running on the Skyway was exhilarating. I mean, how many times can you run on a Skyway? Even when I saw the faster runners already running at the opposite side, I just felt all the more motivated to finish.
Exhaustion hit me around the 8th kilometer. The sun was almost up and the air was getting warmer. The run on the second flyover found me slower but I cut myself some slack. I decided that whatever energy I had left would be spent running fast across the finish line.
And run fast, I did.
It was the day before my 29th birthday.
My gift to myself was another challenge conquered and my first running medal.
My first running medal
I made it in one hour and 26 minutes.
I made it!
And I can only thank my running partner for life, Kernan, for believing in me first. For supporting me during the training and assuring me every time that I could do it.
We made it!
Ironically, I was feeling so energized after the race. And in honor of my first 10k , I just had to paint a dolphin. A yellow one with my name painted in blue.
A dolphin named Jayme
And right then, I just knew, I couldn’t wait to run my next 10k race.
I’m Jayme, a runner’s wife and a running mom to two girls aged three and two.
Cool! My next run is this weekend… Miles for Smiles at the Fort....
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