it IS adding up!!

I received a little bit of pay of for my efforts in the pool and at the gym in the last month.

Yesterday I ran 10km in the Nyuzen Road Race (I ran it last year after a nasty flu and would rather forget that I participated as I barely made it across the finish line...). This time I was healthy and pretty much ready to run - although I hadn't been training specifically for a road race (I've only run twice since the Toyama Relay Marathon) I knew that I was strong enough to finish with a better time than my last 10km.

My time: 53:21 -I cringe as I post that time as I know it's not fast by any means. But it is a best time for me, which is a minute consolation. As I've said to Kirsten too many times; just think how fast I COULD be if I actually ran regularly! I find it frustrating that I have no problem packing up my swim and gym bags and driving 20 minutes to the pool/gym to spend an evening there, but I can put on a pair of running shoes and sports bra and head down the road for an hour's run.

Each time I run another road race I think to myself, "Ok, after this I'll run once or twice a week, then I'll demolish my time at the next race!" .....and I never do it. It doesn't help that winter is coming and running outside will be impossible for the next 4 or 5 months. There are treadmills and a running track at the gym, but the thought of pounding away like that for 60 minutes instantly puts a snarl on my face.

....so if your still reading this rant you're probably asking "Then why the heck are you doing it??". I'm not sure really. Part of it is probably the social aspect of road races, seeing familiar faces going through the same test as I am. Then there's the feeling of pushing myself -talking myself through each km "Ok, just run to the next set of lights and then worry about what comes next", and the feeling of crossing the finish line, collecting my time card, and the giving and receiving of congratulatory words from my peers. Then comes the jello legs, the post-sweat chill, and the great feeling of taking off my running shoes and slipping my feet into flip flops. And in Japan, the whole experience wraps up with a bowl of nabe (fresh veggie stew with a bit of beef or pork and tofu thrown in). It all adds up, I guess.