10 KM Run ... Princess Style

On Saturday I ran in my second 10k race. It was the Toronto Women's Run 5k/10k race. This is a series of runs that is organized for women with an amazing motto of "Women Set the Pace."

I only heard of it about a month ago when I started researching the Disney Princess Half Marathon. A group of Toronto area women found me, and we agreed this race would be a great place to meet up, run and chat RunDisney after.
Before I get to the meetup, though, let me tell you a bit about the race.
I've been doing the Running Room 10k clinic for about a month now. To say it's made a difference to me is a bit of an understatement. I enjoy doing things my own way, so stuff like actually running 10 minutes and walking 1 minute just wasn't my thing. So, needless to say the clinic has been a learning experience. I'm constantly being told to slow my pace (seriously. it's all about different muscles groups as it turns out), stay with the group, run my own race, etc. At the last clinic one of the instructors talked about following our training and running our own race - not worrying that we take a walking break and people are passing. This was awesome and necessary advice when I got out there.
Something different for me in this race was that we were put in corrals based on speed. Luckily I knew the time I wanted to hit, so I knew where I wanted to be.

With a goal time of sub 60 minutes I was in the second group.
The other thing about this race that was new to me was that it was a 5k and 10 k and we all started at once. Those of us running 10k got to run the same route (with an extra loop) twice.
I started this race really well. I had my music, I found a good pace, and I went for it. It actually took me about 2 km to really find my footing. I think a huge part of it was nerves. I need to submit a placement time to Run Disney for corral placement (at Disney you have to have proof of time), and I really wanted to get this  race under 1 hour. So, I was having this constant debate in my head about pacing myself and going for it. In the end I went with pace, and decided that if I felt great at 8k I would just put everything into the last 2 k.
So ...



1-3 km - Start was good. And I was trying to feel it for these 3k. I was okay. But just okay.
4km - Around here we did a loop and then were running past fire fighters and a water station. The water perked me up. (okay - as did the firefighters). And I knew I had a bunch of cheerleaders at 5k.

See the signs ... and me running toward them?

5k(ish) - This is where the 5k's ran to the finish line and the 10 k's kept going. I saw my family. I had the awesomest cheering section. My friend, Erin, came out to cheer. My parents were there. My kids had signs and noisemakers. AWESOME!! I stopped for high fives, and I was feeling amazing. It struck me that Erin was at my last 5k, and I was not feeling nearly that good. I was ready to keep going.
6-7km - still feeling it.  And then we hit the loop. They had to add some distance to make the race a true 10k. I was losing my mind because it made the route different than I expected, it was up and down and up a hill and I just hit a wall. Physically I felt fine. Mentally I started to lose it. And then I just decided to run through it. Amazingly I did.
8km - Hello firefighters! Water was great. I was ready to finish. I looked at my (borrowed) watch. And then realized I had to keep going. So I did. I wanted to walk. I didn't need to. So I kept going. I decided not to push. I was tired, and I knew if I tried too hard I'd want to walk at the end.

9.5 km - There was a volunteer telling us we had 500 metres, and I sort of did a weird push/walk combo that didn't work, but I was close. When I saw the finish line I saw my family and then I looked at the clock. I literally had to sprint to hit my goal. I had it in me. I sprinted. Final time: 59:24!!!! This Princess just hit a sub 60!!!!!
Of course, it wasn't over when the race was over. I had the chance to meet some other princesses who will either be running the Princess Half with me in February, or have done it, or both. It was pretty amazing. I mean, I realize that there are close to 20,000 people who will run that race, but these are people from all over Canada and the States. And, its kind of hard to explain to a lot of people that I've never done a half, and I'm planning my vacation around a race in DisneyWorld, and bringing my family. Oh - and taking hte next 6 months to do some pretty serious training.
Add in the fact that I love tiaras, love Disney and will be running in a costume ... it's a little lonely.
So. This? was pretty amazing. We've already discussed our next race. And, you know you've been chatting a long time when the race course is being dismantled around you.