Doing a 10k for the First Time

 After doing 5k every weekend at the Parkrun, you start getting bored. You try to get a personal best. You don’t. Try again next week. Then you decide to do a 10K to bring back the excitement. That is basically why I decided to do my first 10K. 

Back in the end of 2022 was tough time for my running. I had a sore hip; bad weather and I got a job. Therefore, my training wasn’t very good. To deal with the sore hip I decided to do side planks which helped, but I knew I needed a new challenge for the new year as the parkruns were starting to get boring. Then my mum sent me a picture of the Portadown that was taking place in March, and I immediately knew that I was going to do it.  

To prepare for the 10K I decided to create a training plan. So, I watched a couple of YouTube videos and created my training plan. On Monday I would do my recovery run. On Tuesday I would do 10*400m. On Wednesday I would do a long run. On Thursday I would do my tempo runs. Friday I would do another recovery run. Saturday I would do a parkun and Sunday I would rest. Overtime I would gradually build up the distance in my long run and recovery runs. 

During this period my 5k times started to improve and I got under sub 20 for the first time, so I started to feel more confident when I was running. I had a goal of getting under 45 minutes in the 10k which started to seem very possible after getting a time of 19:42 in the parkrun. 

On the day I felt confident. I had my pre-race fuel and went down to Portadown. At People’s Park I did my warmup which involved light jogging. Then I followed the volunteers down to the start line near the Edenvilla Park.  

(Image description: Me before the race)


Then the race started. The first 5k involved going down the Gilford Road and turning right at Patterson's roundabout to the canal.  I ran the first kilometer so fast that you would think I was trying to get a 5k personal best. Eventually I slowed down after the first kilometer, so not too much damage was done. The rest of the first 5k was very comfortable and was well under the 45-minutes goal. 

(Image description: Me running near the start of the Portadown 10K)


The second involved running up the canal. At this point I was starting to slow down. I missed the first water station because I wasn’t paying attention. However, things were about to get a lot worse. At the 7k point there was a bridge that had a sharp turn, so I lost my speed. Immediately after the bridge the path got bumpy which hurt my legs. 

By the 9k point I was very tired, and my pace went down drastically, though I was still well below 45 minutes. The finish was at people’s park, and when I saw the finish line I sprinted like mad.

(Image description: Me running near the finish at People's Park)


 

Overall, I finished with a time of 41:40 which I was very pleased with as it was below the 45-minute goal. However, I was very sore for the rest of the day. 

(Image description: Me with my medal at the end)


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