10K Trail Run

It is important to run on different terrains besides the road all the time, and living in South Florida where it is just flat is makes it pretty hard. So about 4-5 times a year I try to do a trail run, and of course after the fiasco with the Spartan Race this year I want to do some training to help me prepare for next year.

So I talked a few of my friends into sign up to do the Amelia Bike Trails. Me and one of my friends did the 10K and my other friend did the 5K. 

Let me just say that June-Aug in South Florida is BRUTAL it is so humid and hot all summer long that there is a reason people don't spend the summers down here. We got up at 6 am to head down and it was already hot outside. I didn't even have to start running, just walk outside, to start sweating! So I knew that the trails where going to be hard.

I decided to do the 10K instead of the 5K for a few reasons. 
A) I want to increase my distance
B) I do 5Ks all the time and wanted a challenge
C) I have 5 half marathons coming up over the fall and winter and I am going to need it
D) Help me prepare to do even better in the Spartan Race next year

The first half (5K) was pretty easy. I actually nailed it but about half way through the last 2.7 miles was horrible. I felt my body just telling me now. Every time I had to climb a hill or go around, it was horrible and my little ankles were starting to ache. Mentally I also felt myself give up, I started thinking about things that I shouldn't have and felt myself not only giving up on running, winning, pushing myself but everything. I let myself think about something enough to upset me and my eyes even started to water up, I just wanted to curl up, give up and cry. My heartache definitely affected me.

But its not like you can just stop in the middle of a race and curl up and die from heartache, altough if I could have I would have, so I kept going. I was almost walking at the end as I sobbed...but I managed to finish and pull myself together. I completed the 10K (which was actually 6.77 miles) and managed to somehow come in 2nd! Surprise.

So all 3 of us managed to place that day, despite my emotional breakdown.

 We took: 1st in the Male 10K, 2nd in the Female 10K and 2nd in the Female 5K!!! 

I have had that happen to me once before, September 2012. I did a 5K in almost 40 minutes becasue I was crying so hard thanks to men. It makes me so mad that any man can have that much control over me.  Admittedly last time it was the DAY of the...I am breaking up with you because I want to sleep with someone else. This time it was over a month later after the...here are pictures of me kissing another girl for you and all our friends to see posted on Facebook. I should be over it by now...but I am not (obviously) and I don't think I will be for a while.

Anyway. I think I want to do another one of the trail runs, and I want to do the 10K again. I want to beat my time and maybe not have an emotional breakdown this time around.

This is also Race #16 of 2013 - 8 more to go until I get to my goal!

Next...well. Next Race unless I sign up for something in July or Aug is the King of the Hill 5K Sept 1st!