I woke up with a smile. This is what I've been working towards for the past couple of months.
I fixed my coffee, checked the weather, and hopped in the shower. The forecast showed cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid 50's. よかった! As I layered on my clothing and packed my bag, all I could think about was how excited I was. I had the giddiness that comes with Christmas morning, just about a month early.
After a minor issue with the trains -- I forgot to transfer at one point and had to back track -- I met K at Mojiko Station. We walked over to the race venue and found a place to set our bags down. We arrived about an hour and a half early so we had plenty of time to stretch and warm up.
As the opening ceremony approached, our race nerves started to set in. We each had goals we were pushing for and we'd soon find out if we'd meet them.
At 9:30 the starting shot was fired for my 10k race. I made my way into the herd and was off.
K's 5k race started at 9:50.
Unfortunately our paths never crossed, but since she finished first, she met me at the finish line. Thanks to her, I have real race day photos!
So here's how our races went . . .
First of all, we both finished! That was the main goal for each of us. Run the whole race. Absolutely no stopping. K's secondary goal was to finish under 30 minutes, and she did just that! I was so proud and excited for her! For me, my goal was to finish in under an hour. And while that didn't happen, I finished in 1 hour and 3 minutes, I did finish faster than I did last year.
So even though I didn't make my time, I felt much better during this run than I did during last year's. Last year, I remember cramping, feeling tight and terribly uncomfortable. This year, I actually enjoyed myself.
And like with most things I do here in Japan, I had realizations and "ah ah" moments along the way. Some things just clicked today, but I'll be keeping them to myself.
To celebrate the run, I showered, changed, and headed into Fukuoka. I wanted to see the Christmas Market at night. Christmas lights and mulled wine were sounding like the perfect treat. And also, I was hoping to browse through Dean and Deluca.
Take a look at my snapshots of today . . .
Now that this race is over, I'm beginning to train for a half marathon. I already have a race in mind and I'm looking forward to it.
I'm not sure what my goals are for the half yet, but I do have things I want to improve on. Some of which are stride, cadence, and posture. I have the hardest time relaxing my shoulders when I run. I know I need to change that.
I feel like I'm having to un-learn all of my bad habits and actually learn how to run. It's a challenge that I'm up for.
I fixed my coffee, checked the weather, and hopped in the shower. The forecast showed cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid 50's. よかった! As I layered on my clothing and packed my bag, all I could think about was how excited I was. I had the giddiness that comes with Christmas morning, just about a month early.
After a minor issue with the trains -- I forgot to transfer at one point and had to back track -- I met K at Mojiko Station. We walked over to the race venue and found a place to set our bags down. We arrived about an hour and a half early so we had plenty of time to stretch and warm up.
As the opening ceremony approached, our race nerves started to set in. We each had goals we were pushing for and we'd soon find out if we'd meet them.
At 9:30 the starting shot was fired for my 10k race. I made my way into the herd and was off.
K's 5k race started at 9:50.
Unfortunately our paths never crossed, but since she finished first, she met me at the finish line. Thanks to her, I have real race day photos!
So here's how our races went . . .
First of all, we both finished! That was the main goal for each of us. Run the whole race. Absolutely no stopping. K's secondary goal was to finish under 30 minutes, and she did just that! I was so proud and excited for her! For me, my goal was to finish in under an hour. And while that didn't happen, I finished in 1 hour and 3 minutes, I did finish faster than I did last year.
So even though I didn't make my time, I felt much better during this run than I did during last year's. Last year, I remember cramping, feeling tight and terribly uncomfortable. This year, I actually enjoyed myself.
And like with most things I do here in Japan, I had realizations and "ah ah" moments along the way. Some things just clicked today, but I'll be keeping them to myself.
To celebrate the run, I showered, changed, and headed into Fukuoka. I wanted to see the Christmas Market at night. Christmas lights and mulled wine were sounding like the perfect treat. And also, I was hoping to browse through Dean and Deluca.
Take a look at my snapshots of today . . .
I'm not sure what my goals are for the half yet, but I do have things I want to improve on. Some of which are stride, cadence, and posture. I have the hardest time relaxing my shoulders when I run. I know I need to change that.
I feel like I'm having to un-learn all of my bad habits and actually learn how to run. It's a challenge that I'm up for.
XOXO,
M
