A week ago, I ran my first race of 2016. It was a very last minute idea that just popped into my head after someone from the Open Run group suggested it; they suggested I sign up for the Queens 10K that there were still charity spots available through Team For Kids (TFK).
The idea was very tempting, but I only had two weeks to train and raise the funds for the charity. I took the challenge, I signed up that very same night and pledged to raise $100 for Team For Kids and train for the Queens 10K.
So how do you train for a 10K race that’s happening in two weeks?
Many people mentioned, well you’ve ran marathons before, a 10K shouldn’t be so hard. True, very true, but knowing me, I didn’t want to end up last or have a finishing time higher than my previous Queens 10K race in 2014. I also hadn’t run a race since the Berlin Marathon 2015. I did some short runs here and there, but I wasn’t training for anything specifically.
So I focused mostly on getting some short runs in during the week and lots of Speed work. On the Saturday before the race, I also did a “long run” around the park where the race will be happening so I can get a feel of the course and also to break in my shoes out before the race.
As good as I felt the week before the first week before race day, race week wasn’t the best. I had terrible allergies that were hard to control and I got very little to no sleep. A day before race day, I also scraped my left toes while walking the dog, (who knew a tiny little dog can be so strong at puling). The night before the race, my toes were still throbbing and my allergies had me sleeping from the bed to the couch and awake at 3-4am.
At around 6am, my boyfriend asks me how I’m feeling. Honestly, I wasn’t feeling all that great. I didn’t know how I was going to do this. Jokingly he would say, What about the kids?! He was referring to the charity I was running for, Team For Kids, and all the great friends that supported me by donating for me to run this race and for this great charity. I immediately jumped in the shower, brushed my teeth, drank some tea, put on my TFK singlet and my bib, and decided I would know for sure if I can do this, once I’m outside. I told my boyfriend that I would jog to the park and see how my foot and allergies felt, and if I was able to do that, I would run the race. I knew that beating my personal best was already out of the question, at this point, the goal was to finish the race.
Jogging to the park did not aggravate my injured toes, as I had worried. I was warmed up enough to start the race. Over 10,000 people were running the Queens 10K, and it was indeed a very crowded course, but very organized. I started out slowly, 10 something pace, slow and steady. It was hot, so I wanted to save some energy to use at the end. I was able to skip a few water stops until around mile 3 or 4. Around mile 5, I don’t know what happened, I slowed down for a minute or two, it felt longer. I regret slowing down at this mile, because it’s Mile 5, the end was very near. Ugh. Anyways, a little further after mile 5, maybe 5.5 I decided to just go all the way, run past a few people, and give it as much I had.
If the finish line had a taste, it tasted like crushed ice, it was just cool and refreshing to finish. 1:02:12 read my watch. It wasn’t my fastest 10K, but certainly not my slowest. Despite the short time to train, as well as the rough week I had, I can honestly say, in 2 weeks, I trained and ran the Queens 10K.
Last but not least, I would like to thank Adidas Running for supplying me with a free pair of their Adidas PureBoostX running shoes. I have always wanted to try a pair of Boost, as I have heard really great things about the Adidas Boost family. I must say, the do feel like a cloud on your feet. Very light and comfortable.