Running my first 10k

I'd first like to say that I haven't ran any kind of "organized" run/race since my junior year of high school. Not to mention I haven't ran much at all since then.

However, I heard of a 10k race being hosted by Payap University and I thought "why not?" After a few days of going back and forth I finally decided to do it. But when my alarm went off at 4 A.M. this morning I started second guessing my self and found myself contemplating how I could get out of my verbal commitment to a few friends I told I would run it. Six minutes later I had talked myself into it and got out of bed.

Registration was an interesting experience. Since I was a student I could run for free. I went to the main registration table and tried to hand them my student ID. They shook their head and pointed to another table. The only thing I could read was the "19" on the sign. I assumed I was at the right table but when I handed them my ID they laughed at pointed me to another table. "I'm 19" I tried telling them, "siib gawh". This brought about more laughter until they finally explained that I was at the 19 year old MALE table. Slightly embarrassed, I walked away to the table they had pointed to. Finally, the right table. I registered and got my number.

Not long after that I was behind the starting line packed between a few hundred people. I knew I wasn't running to win or anything impressive like that, I just wanted to finish alive. A few words from the President of Payap, of which I only understood "wing" (run). Then a soft buzzer sounded and we were off. Those who were "in it to win it" flew from the start and it wasn't long until they were out of my view. I let all the "fast" runners pass me and I set a fairly slow but progressive pace for myself.

I had no idea what pace to run at. I hadn't ran anything over twenty minutes. I let all the "fast" runners pass me and I set a fairly slow but progressive pace for myself.

About five minutes into the run I passed this adorable elderly man, who had to be at least seventy, slightly hunched, shuffling along and thought "good for him". Not twenty minutes later and that "adorable" seventy year old was passing me. I had a good mental laugh and a skeptical moment of "why the heck am I doing this". However, I kept jogging, determined to finish.

Forty-five minutes in I was beginning to lose hope. I had no idea how far I had ran or how far I had to go. My butt hurt, my legs were cramping and the people around me were "stop and go" running (meaning they would run pass me, slow down to a walk, I'd pass them and soon they would pass me again). I kept passing them and then being passed which was pretty frustrating. Why couldn't they just keep a steady pace?

My legs killed but I thought I was doing fairly decent from the waist up. My lungs were handling the run just fine, most likely thanks to me biking everywhere the past two weeks. It wasn't until I took out one of my headphones that I realized I was breathing like a woman giving birth. You know the "he-he whoo he-he whooo" breathing women do during labor. Another mental laugh but still I pushed on.

I had taken two thirty second breaks so far. One to drink the cup of water handed to me and the other because I thought my butt was going to fall off. Probably around a mile away from the finish I was getting anxious. I had no idea how much longer I was going to have to run and my butt and legs were all cramped up. Soon after this I finally spotted Payap and picked up the pace a little. I was beyond ready to be done running.

I turned into the Payap entrance and the security guard smiled, laughed and cheered me on. The final 100 meters felt so good. I could see the finish, I had done it!

I can now say I ran my first 10k, in Chiang Mai, with absolutely no training. It did take me around an hour and seven minutes but I finished. Finishing was my only goal and I accomplished it. Not long after my finish I thought "I could do this again, I could do it better! I'll be looking for more runs in the future. Who knows, maybe one day I'll even get competitive.