Get ready for a longer run today! The 10k is about to start.
Morning routine
My alarm went off at 4 in the morning, it was September so it was still dark outside. But the breakfast was planned for 5 and we had to be in our corral at 7. So it gave me enough time to get physically and mentally ready for the run.
With the10K (and also with the 21.1K, but that’s another story) I always want to shower beforehand. – but Li, why shower before the run, that’s just crazy and a waste of water?- Well, no, I shower beforehand to warm up my muscles and to not cool down too much when waiting to start. At around 4.30 I woke up Jay, I let my parents sleep for a bit longer because they can’t come for breakfast with us. Jay gets ready pretty fast, so I gave him a half hour of sleep extra.
We went for breakfast around 5. I managed to smuggle in my jar of peanut butter and a bagel, only to find out they had bagels. That made sense, it is a runners food after all. Jay got some bread and fruit, which don’t work for me really, and I was content with my one bagel and peanut butter. We really took our time to wake up and eat slowly.
After 6 it was time to walk from the hotel towards the corrals. My parents were awake and ready when we came back, so they walked with us until we had to split up. We gave of our gEARbags at the expo and found our way into the corral. It was Jay who had to drop down one for me today.
The run
Finally, it was time to start. The villains kept a close eye on us during this run. The cold and the liters of water intake did not go well with our blatters. So the start was pretty fun. My parents were waiting at the start, which was the sign for me to throw my water bottle and sweater at them. After we passed the first kilometre, we ran straight into Studios and took a right turn at the entrance. TOILET BREAK. We laughed really hard about this.
Making funny faces already
The first 5 kilometers went pretty easy. After that, we got a bit of trouble. The burger Jay ate the night before was not really working for him. The poor thing burped up onions for the last half of the run. And to top it off, somehow my sock (made for running) creased underneath my toe, so it felt like a little cat litter stone was trapped under my foot. That really hurt. We decided to take things a little bit slower after this.The both of us went pretty fast already and like I said with the 5k, I had to save up for the 21.1K. So, we stopped for a minute to check my shoes and socks, and slowly picked up some pace again.
A group of Dutch ladies with Jay in background
Dangerous Discovery
When we ran from backstage into Discoveryland, we came upon something very dangerous for the runners. We managed to dodge a little metal thing in which the doors lock, it was a solid invisible thing stuck to the cement. All of the dangers were marked with some kind of fluorescent spray, except for this one. While we passed it, a runner came by with high speed and managed to fall over the thing. He went straight down with a scorpion-ish faceplant tumbleweed drop down. It looked like it really hurt and I noticed that all of us who saw it were pretty taken aback by the fall. It could have really injured the guy, luckily he got up, stretched and picked up his pace while yelling “I’M OKAY!”
Almost there
The next 3K wasn’t that big of a deal. Jay and I made sure to keep a steady pace by talking a lot to each other so we knew we had enough air left. This technique also makes sure your heart rate won’t go up to the point that your muscles are tiredout to quickly.
Proud runners in front of the castle
The last 2K was a hell for Jay. I saw some blood on his shirt and wondered where it came from. Apparently, his shirt was rubbing his nipples too much and this caused the bleeding. So we went looking for the first aid guys, to put some bandages on. He was probably the 900th person who stopped by for taping up. It really hurt him, I couldn’t imagine the pain he was in. Luckily, his adrenaline kicked in with the 9K marker on the route. This meant we were almost there.
Taking it slowly the last few miles
You run the last kilometer over the show stage of the Moteur Stunt Action show and then take a right turn to the finish line. Hand in hand we ran the last kilometer and finished with a big smile and a lot of relief. We survived! We finished after about an hour and a half, which meant we kept the same steady pace as yesterday.
Happy couple finishing 10K
It was time to mentally prepare myself for the 21.1K because this isn’t over yet.
Jay in pain, but WE FINISHED!
The rest of the day
We hung around the hotel for the rest of the day, cleaned ourselves up and just relaxed. I went to the physical therapist for a moment to get myself Kinesio taped up. My hip was whining again and I noticed that my calves were intense. I couldn't roll it out so she taped me up for the next day. It was really a colourful work of art on my leg.
My parents already sat down at the restaurant because we still had to have dinner. This evening we ate at Vapiano’s. For you who don’t know Vapiano’s, it is an Italian restaurant and they have a lot of dishes to choose from. My mother and I went for some pasta and the guys got big ass pizzas, which really looked delicious. After dinner, it was time to get ready for bed again. I wasn’t really tired, but I had to get up at 4 again next morning, so I needed the sleep.
This wraps up the 10K run for today!
Stay tuned for the dreading 21.1K to complete my 36K challenge.