That one hurt

I definitely paid for it during and after, but I ran my first 10K last week. It was my first Fifth Third River Bank Run, but I still haven't decided if it will be my last.

That run really hurt.

I know ... I whine a lot. But I was limping that afternoon. It didn't help that I had to work that night so after running 6.2 miles and walking another 3, I sat at a desk for 8 hours. Talk about tight legs.



The Good I did finish and I was shocked by my time. I didn't really have a goal time in mind but my friend, Liz, ran her first 10K the week before and finished with a 1:00:49 (I think). So, secretly I wanted to beat her. And I did. 59:07. I was very surprised.

The Bad My knee started hurting during my walk to the race so I was worried the run was going to be bad. And I was right. My knees switched back and forth on which one wanted me to stop, my hip chimed in with pain somewhere around mile 4 and I had to walk off the cramp for about half a block. And that was with Advil already in my system. I was disappointed that I walked, but it wasn't for long and it was very much needed.

I will say, even though this was my first longer distance race, the pain and walking were mostly self-induced. I tried to pace myself up with other runners who seemed to be going about my speed. But around mile 2 or 3, I started speeding up and past a few of them. Then I paced myself with a faster bunch that proved to be a bad idea. That was when I started cramping up and was actually passed by a few of my first pace runners. Not a smart move. Lesson learned. If nothing else, the pictures sure made it look like I was in pain.

The Ugly I paid for my race that day ... and the day after. I had hoped my post-race walk and stretch would have eased some of the tightness and pain. Again ... I was wrong (Is anyone seeing a pattern here?). My legs and their corresponding joints tightened up the rest of Saturday and all day Sunday, making walking look quite strange and an act I really had to focus on.

The other thing I can't figure out is my consistent post-race sickness. At first I thought it was because I kept running my 5K races a few minutes faster than my regular workouts and it was dehydration. When I started training for the 10K, I bought a water bottle belt and thought I had solved my lack of liquids issue. Either I didn't solve the problem or that wasn't the problem. Like with my 5Ks, I was sick for the rest of the day Saturday after the 10K. I have no idea what is causing this race day dilemma. I drink before, during and after my races and usually have a small bowl of cereal or a protein shake in the morning. There are always bananas, bagels and granola bars after the races and sometimes I've eaten them and sometimes I haven't — both scenarios led to getting sick. I'm stuck and I don't like it.

Now the question becomes — do I run another one?

Part of me wants to see if I can make it all the way through without walking or set and stick to a better pace. Let's face it, while I was impressed with my time, I wasn't all that happy with my performance. But can my body handle it?

My uphill battle with knee and hip pain makes me think I should be doing fewer races, not more. I mean, I'm only 26. I don't want to be crippled quite yet ... or anymore than I already am.

But the other part of me wants to see what else I can accomplish. If I haven't mentioned it before, I was never a runner when I was a kid. I hated it. I was a water baby. I swam and played water polo. I wanted nothing to do with soccer, basketball, softball or track. But I have really surprised myself by completing all of these races and I want to see if I could do more. Not to mention that I have been challenged to run a mud run, Warrior Dash, half-marathon, half-tri and marathon. The curiosity is creeping up.

In an effort to calm the knees and kick up my cardio, I did buy a bike this weekend. I'm hoping to ride it to the gym and around town on my days off. Plus, if I do enter a half-tri, I need to be able to stay up on a bike.

I bet any Dr. or anyone smarter than me would say to listen to my body and play it (somewhat) safe. Hmm ... if we have learned anything from this or my other posts, it's that I am not the smartest cookie out there. So I'm curious to see what I decide to do, or not do.