I'm a may be about a month late on this post, but I wanted to give everyone an update on the Tar Heel 10 Miler race I ran last month!
If you haven't been following along, one of my new year's resolutions for 2013 was to start running. I started the year barely able to run two miles without walking, so I quickly joined a Fleet Feet training program and signed up for the Tar Heel 10 Miler.
By the time the race rolled around I had gone from loathing running, to considering this race one of the best things I've ever done. On raceday I woke up at the typical time I'm usually going to bed on a Saturday, and headed to the beautiful Kenan Stadium with Annie and my aunt Shireen. I was super grateful to have them both there, since this was Shireen's third time running the 10 Miler, and Annie's second race, so they were full of helpful tips for me. Plus it's always nice to know someone in a crowd of 5,000!
Although I trainined on the same course for weeks, the race was HARD. I definitely felt like I was struggling at some points, especially on the infamous Laurel Hill at mile 8! Despite the fact that I was a little winded, I still had a blast. The weather was perfect, it was amazing to run past all of the Chapel Hill landmarks, and my mom, sister and a few friends came out to cheer me on as I ran. To top it all off, I finished the race at 1:36:00, much faster than I had ever planned!
I'm currently taking a break from running to rest my old lady knees, but I'm already counting the days til my next race. I'm planning on running my first half marathon in November, and you'll definitely see me at the 2014 Tar Heel 10 Miler!