So remember that time I was going to run a 10K and then totally chickened out? Then there was that other time when I accidentally registered for a 5-miler instead of a 5K, but got through it without dying? Well, my friends, two nights ago I clicked a pretty little PAY NOW button and officially registered for my first-ever 10K road race.
Holy. Crap.
The race: The 9th Annual Malden Rotary Road Race 10K
Where: Malden, Massachusetts
When: Saturday, March 24th… a mere 5 and a half weeks away.
But at a $10 student race fee, I couldn’t turn it down. Plus, the prospect of some sweet race swag had me giving them those ten dollars even faster.
I can’t say no to free stuff, especially when it has to do with running (or dance.) The awesome bright green gloves I got from that 5-miler say “Shamrock Running Club” on them and I won’t lie – I love wearing them. I feel like a runner or something.
So where does that leave me training-wise? Well, I’ve got the 5-miler and a few 5Ks under my belt so I already know I can complete the extra 1.2 miles without dying. Will I enjoy it? Probably not at the time, but I’ll do it. Since I kept putting off registering, I now find myself with only 5 weeks to formally train along with a full course schedule, TA-ing and 12 hours a week of dance (oh, did I mention that even after dropping Wednesday night at DanceWorks, I somehow managed to add an additional 4 hours of dance a week? I didn’t mention that? More about that in a different post….), it leaves little wiggle room for hours of running.
So I found a plan that fits just right.
So obviously this plan does not come complete with almost 12 hours of extra cross training per week but as is the life of a dancer/wannabe runner. I’ll be running various mileage 3-4 times a week, totaling from 14-17 miles per week. This is by farther most miles/week I’ve ever done and I’m super excited to start! I’m not going for speed, just endurance and a strong finish (aka don’t collapse at the finish line.)
But let’s be real here… I need some advice.
I want to know…. what advice do you have for me as I train for my first 10k? What works best for you when you train? What should I wear (keep in mind, the race is at the end of March). Share your 10K stories! Any and all advice is appreciated!
chocolateandwineblog.com 
I think 10K is my favorite race distance, so I hope you enjoy it as well! My training tip is to actually make sure you get enough rest. You’ll build your endurance with cross-training too, so just make sure to listen to your body and don’t over-exhert yourself. When I trained for my half, I was just running 3 times a week (but I am injury prone, and everyone is different). Oh, and also, stretch well after each run! Good luck!
Thanks Bianca! Getting more sleep is definitely on the 10K to-do list!
You will do great on your first 10k! When I ran my first, I made sure to go out at a reasonable pace so that I wouldn’t die by the end. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. 😛 For training, speed workouts are great, but getting in the distance on the weekends works great too! I’ve only ran two 10k’s, so I don’t have a whole lot of training ideas. My next one is in June!
Hopefully we can get together for that coffee!
I always go out way too fast and want to die a mile in! And yes, coffee, yes!!