Stressful September has certainly earned its name. Although I'm glad the month is almost over symbolically, in reality I am panicking because it seems like just yesterday was August, and I have things due right now. I've definitely had an exciting month, with the Disney 5K and the trip to New York, but it has also involved a lot of adjustment. I've been feeling "blah" lately - perhaps "let down" because the exciting parts of the month are over, while the responsibility has piled up.
I've been nervous about Spliggle's separation anxiety, the piles of work that just keep coming, and the other responsibilities that overwhelm. (If I do laundry, I can't do the dishes. If I do dishes, I can't run. If I run, I can't do paid work. If I do paid work, I can't do laundry.) Last year I gained a lot of weight during this period - I felt I needed to put all my other responsibilities in front of my own health. I started to this year as well, but then I told myself I had to keep taking care of myself, even if I end up feeling "guilty" that I'm running instead of doing work.
My original plan was to run my first 10K in December. I figured that was plenty of time to train. I thought I might run a local 5K at the end of October. But admittedly, I got lazy after the Disney 5K. It was Goal! Accomplished! swiftly followed by lots of back-to-school flurries that took away lots of running opportunities. And yet I know it wasn't really, "goal accomplished" because to get to the 10K level, and then looking ahead to a half-marathon in March, I have to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
So I looked up the October 5K, wondering if I could use that as a carrot. I thought the location of the race is the very trail I train on - extremely hilly terrain that I've not been able to run the entire time. Sure, I've run one killer hill, but then I'd walk the next one. This 5K would be much more challenging than the Disney one.
But upon further research, I learned that there are three races: a 2 mile, a 5K and a 10K. More surprising, I learned that only the 10K uses the part of the trail that I expected. The 2 mile and 5K are completely flat. The 10K has the same route as the 5K, but breaks off mid-point to go run around the hills, and then come back. It would be brutal.
So here is the question: Do I do the flat 5K, hoping to improve on my Disney time? Or, do I do the 10K, knowing that I've done those hills nearly every week, and usually twice per week - but knowing that I'd be running an additional flat 5K course as well?
An additional funny fact is that the 5K is open to runners only, whereas the 10K is open to strollers, dogs, and walkers. This potentially means the 10K is less pressure, even if it is both a longer distance and a more challenging course.
Improve on time, or improve on distance?
Posted by Karianna on September 29, 2009 11:57 AM
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Comments (3)
10K all the way...you can do it! :)
Posted by Bill | September 29, 2009 12:34 PM
Posted on September 29, 2009 12:34
10k's. The flat bit can be your warm up, and the hills can be where you push yourself.
Posted by Zelda | September 29, 2009 11:37 PM
Posted on September 29, 2009 23:37
I voted for the 10k. Wow, it really has been almost a month since the Disney 5K. Seems like just a week or two ago. Which is, like, a year in training time I suppose.
Posted by janny226 | September 30, 2009 4:30 AM
Posted on September 30, 2009 04:30