I’d signed up to race the Charles Harris 10k, but every fiber in my being was screaming at me to just stay in bed.
But since I’d spent the past week listening to Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger” on repeat, it did not seem like an appropriate time to become a quitter. Plus, everyone is always talking about how flat and fast the course is, so I figured worst case I could just cartwheel my way to the finish line.
Once I got to the start at Tucker High School I immediately felt better. At least a dozen of my Dynamo Multisport teammates were racing too! I’d been working out of town for the past few weeks so it was really great to catch up with everyone.
I went hard from the gun – I knew there was no such thing as “easing into” a 6.2 mile race. I needed to get MOVING!
I got a little extra boost when I passed Kyle “K-Peasey” Pease cruising along with the help of his big brother Brent. Kyle has cerebal palsy, but with his brothers, Brent and Evan, pushing him in his racing chair, he’s tackled 10ks, triathlons, and even an ultramarathon. And K-Peasey doesn’t mess around – he and Brent hit the first mile marker in 6:30. Smokin’ fast!
This was my first time running Charles Harris, and even though I’d heard the course was mostly flat, I still secretly believed the road would make a right turn and I’d be face-to-face with a Hogpen-esq hill.
Thankfully, that did not happen. The course was as flat as a gluten-free pancake. But that doesn’t mean it was easy. It just meant I had to run faster!
Aided by my super sweet Mizuno racing flats, some friendly cheers on the course, and a good push from my triathlon buddy Tim on the final downhill, I managed to finish in a personal best 37:43. Good enough for second place female.
Ten kilometers may be a lot shorter than my typical races, but I learned a lot out on the Charles Harris race course. For years, I’ve heard coaches say it doesn’t matter how you feel on race day – if you’ve done the work you can still pull off a good race. This race was a nice reminder of that. It was also a good reminder of what it feels like to go fast. But one reminder I did not need was how delicious post-race coffee tastes! That’s a joy I could never forget!
Shanks, Me, Spk - Well deserved Starbucks!
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Basically, the test would give me an idea of my current fitness level and help me figure out what kind of training I need to do going forward.
