When I arrived back at my apartment after a trip home a few months ago, my roommates asked me if I wanted to run a 10k. After a late-night drive, I thought they were crazy. I should not be considered a runner by any means, and I had never run that many miles (6.214) before. Maybe it was my tiredness talking, or that pesky “new year, new me” attitude, but I agreed. My best friends were all running the race, and I wanted to be a part of the experience.
At the time I agreed to do the 10k, I had already been hitting the gym consistently for about a month. But my weighted workouts weren’t equivalent to running. I started by trying to train on the treadmill. I quickly found out that indoor running and masks do not mix well. After one or two miles on the treadmill, I knew that my training would have to take place outdoors.
All of my roommates had run races before, so they knew a little bit about training. We probably didn’t train enough, but we did our best. We started with three miles and ran in intervals. Eventually, we worked our way up to four. I completed a five-mile run before race day and hoped that six miles wouldn’t feel much different than five. I felt decent about how my time had progressed, but I was nervous for race day for several reasons.
I generally only ran early in the mornings at around 6 a.m. The one time I tried to run in the afternoon, the heat and sun got to me, and I didn’t finish the run. The race started at 7:45 a.m., which was later than I was used to working out. I was also scared that being around other runners would intimidate me and slow down my time. Despite my nerves, race day arrived before I could regret my decision.
On race day, I was impressed with the atmosphere. Everyone seemed genuinely happy to be a part of the event. Masks were required while the runners were in the main area, and the runners were spaced out to adhere to social distancing guidelines. Even with the pandemic looming over the process, this was the first social event I had been to in a year where things felt almost normal.
One of my roommates suggested we do a little warm-up before the race started. I couldn’t understand why we would run more than we have to. I considered the walk from the car to be my warm-up. Before I knew it, my friends and I were placed at the starting line for the race and told to go.
We ran the first mile of over six without walking. While I was proud of the accomplishment, I worried that I was overdoing it too early on in the race. From there, we switched to walking for a minute and then running for a minute. For a few intervals, the time seemed to pass slower. I felt like I must be tired because the end of the running minute never seemed to come. That was when my roommate told me our other friend had been running on a two-minute interval instead. After learning I’d been lied to, we switched back to true one-minute intervals and continued that way for the rest of the race.
As we were running through the streets of Winter Park, Florida, families and homeowners sat outside their homes and wished us well. It made me happy to see children outside cheering for their parents and onlookers clapping as we passed by. Seeing so many happy faces made the time pass quickly.
After mile four, I felt like I was in the home stretch. By the beginning of the last mile, I was ready to be done. When my watch hit the six-mile mark, I was looking for the finish line. That’s when my friends informed me that a 10k was a little more than six miles, and I had to keep going. After walking for a few more minutes, I pushed ahead toward the finish line. Mentally, I had already finished the race. I was told that walking through the finish line would be lame, though.
Once my foot crossed the line, I felt great about what I had accomplished. I still don’t consider myself to be a runner, but it’s nice to know I can accomplish whatever I decide to pursue. After the race, my friends and I chugged some water, ate a complimentary cup of ice cream and picked up bagels. We spent the rest of the day hanging out and having a girl’s weekend. I don’t know if I want to compete in another 10k anytime soon, but getting to have that first-time experience with my best friends was something I’ll never forget