(Click on the above slideshow to view as a web album.)

On Sunday, July 29, Larry and I ran the Harrogate Town Centre 10k. It was a gorgeous morning, and perfect weather for a race. The race didn't start until late in the morning, which Larry commented was a smart move by the British race organizers! (Really, who wants to get up early on a Sunday?)

At the start, I found a friend of mine, Jane, who also runs with the Harrogate Harriers. We ran most of the race together, which was a huge help and a lot of fun. I've only ever run one other race with a friend. It makes it so much easier! This particular course was a two lap, hilly loop. I knew several of the marshals on the course (other HH's), which also helped. It was great to see friendly faces along the way!

Jane and I had a fun surprise as we finished the first lap. Another HH named Jane was announcing the race, and she announced our names on the PA system as we went through! We couldn't help but smile, and feel energized for the second lap.

Jane and I had taken the first lap easy and relaxed, so I felt strong on the second lap. There's a big hill not long before the finish, but the finish is all down hill after that. There were other HH's cheering at the finish, which made crossing the finish line that much sweeter.

I looked around for Larry after the race to see how he did, but he was nowhere in sight. I was a little miffed and thought he'd better have a good excuse for being MIA when I finished the race! Turns out, he did. His car key fell out of his pocket, and he had gone back over the course to try to find it. Luckily, someone found it and turned it in. It's good to know there are decent people out there.

Larry finished 147th out of 631 total runners, with an official time of 44:43. (I'm not sure how long it took him to cross the start line once the gun went off. It took me about 30 seconds, but I was in the back.) I finished 515th, with an official time of 58:53, but from the start line, 58:19. I am really pleased, because my goal had simply been to be under an hour. Larry somehow convinced me it would be a good idea to run a half marathon in September, so being able to run half of that well was a boost to my confidence.

Overall, I had a very enjoyable time that morning. It was great to know so many people involved with the race. It made all the difference.