Getting ready for the RunQ8 event.

Last week, I mentioned about the 10K run event on November 6th 2010. I registered for the run and got my t-shirt and race card.

The race will start at 9:00 AM, and the course will be from Kuwait Scientific Center to the Corniche Club and back. I decided to get ready for the run by trying out the course before hand. I did my first run last week and clocked 57 minutes and 50 seconds. Since I used the Nike+ GPS application to track the run, you can see the replay of the run by clicking here.

I was not very happy with the time - since I wanted to finish in around 50 minutes. Yesterday, I decided to try the same route one more time. The only difference was that I went well-prepared (I had only done light jogging the previous day). I was determined to finish it in less than 55 minutes so I increased my pace a bit and stuck to this pace. At the 2 kilometer mark, I knew I could finish it in a little over 50 minutes.

The final time was 53 minutes and 5 seconds. Much better. You can see the replay of this run by clicking here.

I now firmly believe that I can run the race in under 50 minutes. Here's why.

1. The actual race will be run on the proper road and all traffic will be closed. This means no going up and down the footpath - or stopping to looking behind you when crossing the road.
2. The actual course will be a bit shorter than the one I ran. Since I used the GPS chip, it took me exactly to the 5K mark before turning around. However, the actual turning point appears to be around 400 meters less.
3. Since there will be other (better) runners around, I can try and follow in their pace.
4. The adrenalin of running with a group should give me that extra boost to run a little bit faster.
5. I won't be carrying a bottle in my hand - since drinks stations will be available to keep us hydrated.

My only concern (so far) is the heat. I have never run in the heat before and I wonder what effect that is going to have on the run. My son recommended that I wear a cap & shades - which is an excellent idea. The only problem is that I have never run with cap or shades before, so I am not sure how that will influence my running.

At the end of the day, this is a fun race. There won't be individual timings. The whole objective is to complete the race - which (as one of my friend said), should be a walk in the park for me.

I made a YouTube video of run animation, which shows the exact route that I ran.