9 Things You Might Learn From Your First 10K
Running your first 10K isn’t just about getting a finishers medal.
You’ll learn so much from the experience…
1) You Don’t Have To Be “Athletic”
It’s not just sporty-types who can run a 10K. We all can. Short, tall, big, little, all ages… we’re all capable. We can all start from square one, train, and then do a 10K race. Running 10K is not just for natural sporty women. You can start right now.
2) The Stories You Used To Tell Yourself Are Fiction
“I’m not a runner.” “I hate running.” “Me? I could never run a 10K.” Those are not truths. They’re things you used to say about yourself. Part of the story you used to weave about your own imagined weaknesses and shortcomings. The real truth of your story is that you are capable of running a 10K race, of starting it and finishing it. You are a runner.
3) You Can Get Through Difficult Challenges
Training for your first 10K won’t be plain sailing. It might be painful at times and you’ll feel tired. But you can do it. A bit of discomfort won’t stop you, not if you want to do this. And you’ll discover how empowering it is to push outside of your comfort zone.
4) You Don’t Have To Be Perfect
If you wait until your ready to run a 10K, you might be waiting forever. Even elite, club level runners have bad days! For us normal, beginner runners, it’s about giving it a go. You might make mistakes. But you’ll have made progress. It’s not about a perfect 10K race, it’s about having the courage to do it at all.
5) Your Body Is Incredible
As women, we’re accustomed to bad-mouthing our bodies. I’m too fat, I haven’t lost enough weight, my thighs are huge, look at my wobbly bum. Training for a 10K race will help you heal your relationship with your wonderful body. At some point – we can’t tell you when – you’ll just realise… Wow. My body is amazing! I’m asking so much of it, and it’s doing it over and over again. Your legs, bum, and every inch of your body is going to help you train for this 10K race.
6) The Power Of Community
Something wonderful will happen as part of your 10K training (whether you planned it or not). You’ll become part of a wider community of runners. Out on training runs, other runners will give you the “nod of respect”. You’ll discover runners at work, at the school gates, and in social groups. You’ll make new virtual friends online (like here at Running4Women). One thing will bond you all: your love for all the pleasures and pains of running.
7) Running Gives You Perspective
We all have our own struggles and anxieties. It’s not until you start running that you realise it gives you an amazing opportunity to clear your head. Maybe it’s the amount of time you need to spend in your own company. Or perhaps it’s the rhythmic sound of your breathing and the steady pace of your feet. Maybe it’s the fact that you’re constantly moving forward. Or it could be that it’s so tiring you can’t think about anything else! But running has an incredible way of putting everything in perspective. Your fitness will improve, but the rest of your life might change for the better too.
8) You Can Do More Than You Realised
Remember your first ever run? Chances are you couldn’t run one mile without stopping. We couldn’t! Now look at you. And soon you’ll be a 10K race-finisher, with a 10K time (and a medal) to prove it. 5 years ago, would you have believed someone if they’d said you’ll run a 10K one day? But you did. You are far more capable than you realise. You are strong, focused, and can achieve whatever you set your mind to. Don’t let your own thoughts derail you before you’ve even tried.
9) Running Isn’t Easy (But You Can Do It)
Running your first 10K will teach you one lesson above all: this isn’t easy, but you did it. Take that empowering truth. Use it throughout your career, your family life, your relationships. “This might not feel easy, but I can do it.” Patience, consistency, and putting one foot in front of the other leads to a successful race. The same is true for lots of things in life. Maybe that’s why runners are such level-headed people.
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