First ten kilometre run

In the beginning of the year, Rochelle and I agreed to do a race at our local Vaal Mall on Wednesday 18 March.  There were three categories:  five, ten or fifteen kilometres.  I planned to do five kilometres, but as I trained and built up my strength I realised that I would be able to do ten kilometres.

I was very nervous and didn’t know what to expect at such an event.  Rochelle arrived at the last minute, and after we talked, I was assured.  The route of the race was mapped out in five kilometre laps. We ran from the mall around a neighbourhood and back.

Rochelle is training for the Comrades in May, so for her it wasn’t difficult to run at my pace, but I noticed that I was running faster in the beginning while running with her.  At the start of the second lap, she broke away to run faster to complete the fifteen kilometres.    From there I slowed down to keep my energy levels up to finish the race.  The people doing the fifteen kilometres came past me running in such haste that one could think they were running  from a lion!

I completed the race and I am very proud of myself.  I enjoyed it and wouldn’t mind doing it again, although I would prefer it during the day.  It is funny sometimes how people underestimate me. They would smile and say: ‘Well done! You did the five kilometres!’ After they had their moment, I looked them straight in the eye and replied: ‘No, I did the ten kilometres.’  and their smiles faded.

‘What was your time?’ others asked.

I don’t know.  I never stopped the clock, but I worked out that it took about an hour and ten minutes.
But it’s not important to me.  What is important is that I was part of a race, completed it well and it was a bonus that I wasn’t last in my category!

By Deon Labuschagne