My 10K Goal: Get as close to 1:30 as possible

I looked at my souvenir shirt from my last half-marathon, and the last time I ran a race was fifteen years ago. With that being said, I am now fifteen years older, so I just wanted to do it, but my goal was to get as close to 1:30 as possible.

Big Excitement: My First Waymo Ride

My biggest excitement leading up to the race was taking a Waymo for the first time. I had to be at the race by 7:00 AM, and I was not going to take the bus down to the Embarcadero. Parking garages were charging over $100 for race participants, so that was not an option—shame on the parking garages for price gouging.  I complained fifteen years ago when the parking was $30, so who knew that would be considered a bargain in the future.

Back to the exciting Waymo Ride: I couldn’t figure out how to get in, so I knew the car was going to drive off and leave me. I went back to the app and realized that you use the app to get into the car.  Now for the actual ride. Waymos are better drivers than people. I was impressed when the Waymo pulled over for an ambulance.

Have Mercy..it was before 6:00 AM…but had to get a selfie for my first waymo

I got worried because we started going in the opposite direction from the Embarcadero. I had sent my sister a text to let her know in case I ended up somewhere down the Peninsula. We weren’t going the wrong way.  The ride was smooth and uneventful, and riders can even select their own music and set the temperature. I worried that I would be let out in the middle of the street, but Waymo pulled over and let me out by the Embarcadero BART station. “This was awesome!” I exclaimed to nobody as I got out of the car.  I

I am SOLD on Waymos and will be taking them to the Symphony and the theater this Fall.

I texted my sister that I was still alive and headed over to the starting line.

The Actual Race

Here we gooooo!!

 “You have to be pretty crazy to get up early on a Sunday morning to run six miles,” I thought to myself.  As the 10K participants began to assemble, we saw some of the Half-Marathon participants running their route. I briefly considered signing up for a half-marathon next year, but I quickly realized that I would have to run 13.1 miles and be there at 6:30 AM, and that was the end of that.  I ran three Half-Marathons, and that was enough.

I ran the race in 1:24:14, which was SIX MINUTES FASTER THAN MY GOAL!!! I was proud of myself for completing my goal and exceeding my expectations.

Had to do my 2025 theme song as the cooldown song

I got a little choked up as I was leaving to catch the bus home. Even with all the awful things that have happened, like losing my mother and how disappointing the last few years have been, I kept going.  I needed this win.

As always, the process is where we learn and grow.  Accomplishing the goal is just the icing on the cake.  Here are some of the lessons I learned from completing the 10K

Lesson One – Run your own race

Every time I have done one of these races, there are always the people who take off like greased lightning and then somewhere in the middle of the race, they die on the vine and are back with all of us slowpokes.

Sometimes it doesn’t pay to get off to a fast start. Take your time and don’t worry about what everyone else is doing. Run your race and stick to your strategy.

Lesson Two – Training sucks and can often be dull, but it’s the key to game day success

Training is not very exciting, but the preparation is what will determine success.  I planned to jog for the first five minutes to establish a good rhythm, then I would switch to a two-minute run/one-minute walk strategy until Mile 5, when I would transition to an outdoor run coached by Jon Hosking on Peloton. I had practiced this during my training run. I knew that I would go faster with him coaching me, and I loved the final song, “I love it” by Icona Pop. Yes, this ‘80s chick was about to finish strong! I DON’T CARE! I LOVE IT!

I could not have planned it any better because “Hosky” coached me right over the finish line.  I crossed the finish line just as the run finished. I was shocked by the finish line time, especially since I had been much slower during training.

I couldn’t believe how fast the run went, although I may have gone out too fast because I started feeling it at 3 miles in and walked an extra minute. It turns out that my final split times for each mile were 2 minutes faster than my training runs.

Lesson Three – Fitness and Exercise are for everyone

I was thrilled to see so many different people participating in the run. There were kids, older adults, adaptive runners, someone in a wheelchair (who was going faster than most of us), fit-looking people, not fit-looking people, people with dogs (this wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be), parents pushing strollers, just to name a few. Some people looked like they were barely making it, but they were out there and giving their best!

In these times of division, I enjoyed seeing people proudly running with their country’s flags. I also loved the fun signs that people made to cheer on their family members. Some of my favorite signs were

Run like you have cat zoomies

Smile if you’re not wearing any underwear

You’re running better than the government! (My Favorite!)

The race was uplifting and inspiring, and I needed that right now. It highlighted what is missing for me—a welcoming, uplifting, and fun fitness atmosphere where people can push beyond their mental and physical limits and find a sense of community. No fitness environment should resemble a mortuary, but unfortunately, it sometimes does. Even as I prepare to move forward in my career, I plan to stay connected to fitness in some way, as I genuinely enjoy it under the right circumstances. However, I only want to work in an environment that is high-energy, uplifting, and community-oriented.

Is there another race in my future?

I’m not sure. I plan to participate in a Turkey Trot this Thanksgiving, as I have always wanted to do so. There are also some fun races around San Francisco toward the end of the year, and there’s one in January. Running is back on my radar, and it’s a great way to stay motivated. I also love the race environment!

For now, I am going back to strength training and yoga, and I will incorporate Pilates into my routine.

Another win for 2025 is in the books!