How to Create a Running Addict in One Race

Sandra did it! She crushed her first race and was officially the happiest runner on the planet!

Race day started early: at 4:40 AM, we picked her up, bleary-eyed but excited, and set off for the venue. A smooth 20-minute drive later, we hit a small hiccup: parking took longer than expected. Suddenly, time was tight. At 5:55 AM, Kai and I had to sprint to the start of our 10K, while Sandra had a bit more breathing space – her 5K started at 6:15 AM. We barely managed a blurry selfie before the races kicked off.

Determined not to repeat my classic mistake of starting too fast, I positioned myself slightly further back in the crowd. A few minutes in, I settled into a nice rhythm, comfortable, controlled… maybe even too comfortable. That’s when another runner in my age group appeared, gliding past me and settling just ahead. I didn’t know her name at the time, but I’d later find out: Clare.

Hmm. Game on? I weighed my options:
A) Go full throttle and turn this into an epic battle.
B) Sit tight, draft behind her, and wait for the right moment.

I went with Plan B, patience. But by kilometre 6, Clare’s pace started to fade, and by kilometre 7, I knew it was time. I surged past her and went for it. I could hear Clare hanging on behind me.

Crossing in 44:50, I was relieved to be done. While not my fastest 10K, it was good enough for 2nd in my age group (out of 196) and 5th woman overall (out of 1,026, results here). Clare wasn’t far behind – she held on strong and finished just 15 seconds later.

A few minutes later, Kai came flying through in 48:47, an impressive 13th in his age group (out of 124). And that’s with zero speed training!

And then it was Sandra’s time to shine. I had estimated she’d come in just under 45 minutes… but she blew that prediction out of the water. She stormed across the finish line in 38 minutes! She finished 66th woman overall out of 248. Absolutely incredible for her first race!

Sandra was thrilled with her result and is now hooked. She’s asking about more races and wants to aim for a 30-minute 5K. I’ve got just the thing for her: a women’s race at the end of March. I’ve never done a women-only event before, so I’m curious to see how it compares.

Now, here’s the real question: how many of Sandra’s friends can we recruit for this one? Stay tuned!

• Have you ever done a gender-specific race – only men or only women? -No, never.
• Would you consider yourself a running or a fitness addict? -Yes!

I’m joining Runs with Pugs and The Running Teacher’s link-up, Tuesday Topics. I’m also joining Runner’s Roundup with Mile By Mile, Coach Debbie Runs, Confessions of a Mother Runner and Runs with Pugs.