Successful 10K: Madrid Corre por Madrid 2012

In preparation for the race, Hannah and I had pasta (with tuna, tomatoes, and eggs) for dinner the night before, then went to bed early.

On Sunday morning put on our running shoes, attached our numbers, then headed to Atocha to meet up with another frisbee friend who was also running in the race.

Hannah tying her shoes

Pumped up for the Madrid Corre Por Madrid 10K on Sunday morning

Here's a video of the beginning of the race, though I couldn't hear the gun shot from where we were.  We didn't cross the start line until 1:30 or so, but each of our numbers had electronic chips attached to keep track of our individual start and end times.

It was a pleasant day for a race, good weather, and it was fun to run through Madrid's downtown - past all the tourist spots - with 10,000 other runners, not tourists.  I went just a bit faster than my normal Reca-jogging pace, and felt good throughout the race.  Just a few side cramps at one point.  And I had energy to kick it up a bit at the end of the race, so I wasn't really running at race speed.

My final time was 1:01:25, so just over an hour.  So now I know what a 10K feels like, that it's very doable, and the time I should aim for in my next 10K.

I completely forgot that they videotaped the finish, so you can see me briefly here.  I wish I would have remembered and done something cool for the camera.  At 1:02:56 I'm in view on the right side and at 1:02:58 I'm easiest to see.  Bright yellow shirt (as pictured in photo above).  Far far right of the screen.  But just for a split second.

The first place runner finished in 31:15!

This race raised 20,000 euros for the food bank.  Registration only cost 10 euros, and came with a jersey and draw-string bag.  Water was provided between the 5th and 6th kilometers, and we were all given a banana, water bottle, and powerade when we finished.  I highly recommend this race to anyone that finds themselves in Madrid next September!