Every day you have to test yourself. If you don't, it's a wasted day - Terry Butts

So I did my 10K fun run last Saturday.

It was TOUGH! :-)

Why?

• It was 28°C.
• It was a 5K track which you had to run twice (and it's never good to pass the finish line because you just want to stop... instead of run all that AGAIN!)
• I wasn't in the best of shapes and I am not used to running at 6pm.

The run started uphill and I am crap at uphill running. This was my first 'race' and my mind had to deal with all that was going on: the stress of being at a starting line, seeing the fast runners effortlessly disappear in the distance, thinking about who is behind me...

The first half of the first loop was mainly uphill, more or less steep. In the beginning I was still ok, but after a while I was being overtaken by the 'powerwalkers' who looked to be about 50. And my mind took a hit. Which is never good. So I not only had to continue to run in the heat, but also try to quiet down my mind that kept saying 'you're crap, even a 50 year old walks right past you'. Beating your own deamons is not easy and it was the first time I was struggling not only physically but mentally.

When the first loop was going downhill again I passed the powerwalkers again :-) but I started to feel a bit tense in the stomach area. That was when I decided to stop after the first loop (about 5K). That made me feel happy.

Arriving at the finish line, people were applauding. Wow, that was a first - and felt really good. I shortly stopped for a drink of water and saw my hubby and son standing a bit further to take pictures and fire me on. And somehow I just had to continue...

So up the hill I struggled again, the powerwalkers passed me again, my heart and mind raced again... And then I thought 'what the heck - I don't care if I end last, it's for myself that I do this, it should be fun'. And that changed the rest of the run. I started to notice the fields around me, the sun and the blue sky and running became a lot easier.

Running down the hill I did not overtake the powerwalkers again. And I didn't care. When I finally arrived at the finish line, the only ones clapping were my hubby and son, people were already starting to clean up. I didn't mind.

I was proud of myself. I felt good. And that's what you do it for after all, isn't it? :-)