My first race took place on November 13, 2010. I had been "training" for months. I kept telling myself not to be nervous because I had been running so long that it would just come naturally to me. That morning I woke up with the worse case of jitters. I was really excited but nervous at the same time. I didn't want to die while attempting to run a mere 5 miles. Per usual I snoozed a little too long which set me back a few minutes. The race started at 7am. I was looking for parking at 6:55! I found a space and fit as much of my car in it as possible. I didn't want to run to the start line and be tired during the race so I speed walked. I arrived at the start line at 7:03, just in time for last call for the 8k. I had read in Runners World that it's not good to start off to strong. It was hard not to knowing that I was already late.
When I took off my nerves started working a little bit. There were so many people around just staring. I was kind of uncomfortable. I think that made me take off stronger than I wanted. I was close to being completely winded at mile 2. As I was getting out of breath and slightly thirsty I decided it was time to take a water break. I hadn't practiced running and drinking so I started walking. The little bit of water they put in that cup did absolutely nothing for me! I started running again after 2 blocks. I had enough breath and my energy had spiked. I ran the rest of the way. I was surprised at how many hills were on the course. They don't seem that steep in a car! I thought I had made good time. My goal was to finish in less than 1:15 because I had done so previously on my own,but the walk affected that. I finished in 1:16 and some seconds. When I saw my official time I must say I was a bit disappointed. Well, disappointed is a strong word, but I knew I could have done better. Out of the 4500+ people in my race I finished 3003.
I had read so many tips about first races and racing in general. I just never took them into account while training. While on the course I could have pushed myself harder. I learned a few lessons during this race:
1. Leave the house at least 30 mins prior to the race start time.
2.Take heed the tips read in a national running magazine. The authors just might know what they're talking about.
3. Don't over dress! Over dressing=over heating. I had on 2 undershirts, the race shirt and another running shirt.
4. I NEED to find another sports bra.
5. I also need a pouch of some sort to hold my belongings. I kept my car key in my glove and held my phone/ipod in my hand.
5.Most importantly, train the way you intend to perform! It's okay to have bad days but the not bad days need to kick arse.
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