Last weekend I ran in my first-ever race, the Two Bridges 10K in Chattanooga, TN. I wasn’t sure what to expect regarding my performance since my average run normally is around 3-4 miles long and I’ve just been coming off an injury over the summer. My goal was to finish in under 50 minutes, which I felt was pretty doable. I ended up finishing in just under 50 minutes! I was surprised by how cold I was after the race. The weather was around 52 degrees and overcast. I also continued to get more and more tired throughout the day.  I enjoyed running with other people and loved the race experience overall, except for the early start. 

After the race, I had a few thoughts about what I would do differently next time to prepare for next time. In retrospect, I did not eat or drink enough the day before to fuel my body properly for the race. Next time, I will try to be more conscious of my food and drink intake as well as drink some electrolytes on race day. For the 10K distance, I also wish I had pushed myself a little more at the beginning of the race. I was cramping pretty badly around mile 3.5-4.75, but before this and after I felt great and could have run faster. Running in this race has inspired me to run more and to challenge myself physically and mentally.