Armagh 10 mile Road Race

  

Increasing your distance in running is a daunting task. One of the best ways of increasing your distance is through a road race. If you are going to do the farthest distance ever, you might as well get a medal and a T-shirt for your troubles. So, I decided to do the Armagh 10-mile road race, but little did I know that I would be taking part in one of the hardest races in my life. 

Firstly, a bit of information about the Armagh 10 mile. The race takes place at the Navan centre in country Armagh and is organised by the Armagh Athletics Club. The course is a simple 10-mile loop around the Navan centre.  

The race started at 10am, which gave me plenty of time to prepare. My pre-race meal consisted of a bowl of Weetabix, a glass of water, a glass of orange juice and a cup of tea with a spoon full of sugar. It might not be scientifically the best pre-race fuel, but I like it. 

At the Navan centre I began my warmup. This consisted of a couple of stretches, technique practice and light jogging. At the end of the warmup, I did a couple of strides to get the fast muscles working.  




(Image description: Me before the start of the Armagh 10 mile)

After the warmup I went to the starting line. Bang! I started running at a quick pace. The start of the race was downhill, so I decided to put a decent pace on. The pace slowed down after the first mile, but it was still comfortable at the seven-minute mile pace. Overall, the first three miles were comfortable. A couple of hills there, but nothing I can’t deal with.  

However, the hills wouldn't stop. Once I did one hill, there was always another around the corner. By the halfway point the fatigue was starting to kick in, but I was determined to get under seventy minutes. So, I desperately tried to keep the pace.  

Then, at mile seven my body was starting to give up. My back was sore. My feet were sore. Everything was sore. However, I was still determined to get under seventy minutes. Until I saw a giant hill and I knew it was over. I managed to get over the hill and kept running, but I was slow. Other runners kept passing me and encouraging me, but I was in a lot of pain. 

Finally, I saw the finish line and started to sprint. I passed the finish line in 73 minutes and 26 seconds, which I was alright with, because it was a really tough course. However, the aftermath was a whole different challenge. I lost a lot of sugar from the run, so I was very tired. Everybody was concerned about me, so they took me to the Navan centre to refuel with lots of sugar and bananas. The weird thing is that I don’t really like bananas, but I ate them without hesitation. Thankfully, I was able to recover. 




(Image description: My Armagh 10 mile road race certificate of participation)

Overall, I enjoyed the experience. The race was very well organised, and the marshals were very supportive. I ran the 10-mile distance, and I got a medal, so what more can I ask. Also, I decided that I am not doing a half marathon anytime soon! 




(Image description: Me with my medal from the Armagh 10 mile road race)

 

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