On Monday Oct. 10 (Columbus Day) I had the opportunity to run in the Tufts Health Plan 10K for Women for my third time! I was pretty excited to run and see if I could improve my time from the previous year (I believe it was 48:10). I had been running every other day for the most part so I felt like I was prepared to some extent. I knew I wouldn't die.
The day was HOT. While my friends in Utah were cold and had experience snow already, I was wearing short and a t-shirt for the last couple days with the sun beaming down. Race day had to have been the worst (probably because I was running in it). We ran at noon and I tried to utilize all the water stops. Still though, by the end I was dying.
To be honest, I was quite annoyed with the race. I had gotten stuck towards the back of the pack (of about 7500 runners) or maybe more somewhere in the middle. Either way when the race had begun, I had to wait before I got to the actual start and even when I crossed that line I was moving at a very slow pace weaving in and out of walkers, strollers, and slow runners. I know I am not the fastest person, but this was sure messing with my pace. I would sort of spurt into a fast pace once I had a free spot and then I had to slow back down. It was hard to do this considering it lasted for about the first two-ish miles.
When I did come upon a water stop I really thought it was important to drink something, but it was so difficult to get water! I think I skipped the first one and thought that this would be my opportunity to get past a bunch of people and find a more open area of running. I shouldn't complain too much though considering there are so many runners and hey.....at least they are out there for this event.
I knew I was running slowly and it got me a bit down because I was wearing a band (that I got when I picked up my number) that had times for a 7:40/mile pace. I really thought that I could at least come close to this pace. Well.....I crossed the finished line at a depressing gun time around 58ish minutes? I walked around the event, got some goodies and then decided that I should look at the official times. I knew the gun time wouldn't be right. I finally found my name and the time hit me. Seriously HIT me.
54:50
I cannot express the disappointment in myself. Excuses came up in my mind, but let's be honest. There is no excuse (for me) to be that slow. And it made me sad because this was my last year running this particular 10K. After the race though, I kept my head up. This was a good way to motivate me to improve. This will not happen again.
So while some people look 10K and consider it $10,000.....I truly do look at it as a race in which I find more meaning. A race where I want to improve my life. Running is greater than money in my mind because I believe money is more temporary. Running is my life. After all.....I am always running from something.
Runaway Girl
Tiegan Hatch 21 F Brookline, MA
#4097
Overall Placement: 795
Age Division(20-29): 267/1487
Gun Time: 58:41
Net Time: 54:50
Pace: 8:50
