I took part in the 5K at Run Balmoral, a day held in the grounds of Balmoral Castle held every year attracting hundreds of runners, from beginners to professionals.
It's famous for its beautiful surroundings and the massive hill that hits the 10k runners, when they're almost halfway through. I really struggle with running uphill and need a lot more practice at this before I could contemplate running the 10k...maybe next year.
The weather in Aberdeen was rotten when I woke up. Drizzle dripped down the skylight window above me and it was so very tempting to roll over and pull the covers over my head. Instead I got up early, packed the dog into the car and drove an hour and half into the countryside to join all the other crazy people.
I started out quite well. I'd planned to take it really slow in case I burned myself out too early and didn't have the stamina to finish. The scenery was quite amazing and proved a real happy distraction from the pounding of feet and muscle fatigue that set in quite fast. The spirit of the occasion really carried me along too. You'd have 5 minutes or so of running through a wooded section, then you'd turn a bend and find small pockets of people lining the path cheering you on. The children watching were really enchanted by the atmosphere as they were always cheering the loudest. One of the more surreal moments in my life is sure to endure as the three boys who'd broken way from the crowds and taken a spot on one of the banks. I ran past, alone, with a swelling crowd a little behind me and another far in front. The boys shouted things with the utmost sincerity like "Come on, you're doing really well" and "Keep going you can do it" and blowing little whistles. It would have cracked me up if I'd had any spare breath to chuckle. They were only about 5.
The race was a reality check to me. All this time I've been saying that my goal is complete Baker Highes 10K without stopping to walk at any stage. I knew this was a tall order 3 months ago when I started running for the first time and found I could only go for about a minute before needing to stop. However I really thought with the right training and good eating, I could get there. And while I've made excellent progress, it's still a far off goal. I can run for 30 minutes, and even then it's tough. What I've realised is that I can't do a 5k in 30 minutes.I don't go fast enough to cover that ground in that time. OK, OK, I admit it, I had to walk a bit. One of the small hills about 2k in saw me slowing down to a brisk walk, just to alleviate a stitch in my shoulder of all places.
In the end I completed it in around 37 minutes. It's not spectacular, but considering I could barely run for 37 seconds all of 3 months ago, I'll take it. And I got a shiny medal for my efforts.
We spent the rest of the day watching the other races and letting the dogs run around on the grass. I had a great time and went home with a sense of achievement and some renewed enthusiasm to train hard for the 10K. I've got one month and then I have to run double what I did yesterday. But I also know what fun it can be to run in a crowd and take part in such a collective feat of endurance.
P.S The guy who won the 10K did it 5 minutes faster than I did the 5K. How impressive is that!
well done!
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