Ramadan Racing

Yesterday, I did my first (in-person) race in a very long time, the Discover Downtown Columbia 10k. Having kept all of the requisite fasts, and being in serious Ramadan sleep debt, I expected a mediocre performance, something along the lines of my Ramadan training pace of approximately 8:45 min/mile.

(During Ramadan, I typically run close to iftar time, when I can re-hydrate afterwards. Also, unlike other times of year, I do not push myself at all when running during the Holy month, because speed is then not the objective.)

I was a bit nervous driving to the race that morning, as this was the longest I'd gone without doing a race in recent years. I listened to the Sublime Qur'an on CDs which my uncle had given me. It calmed me immediately. And- I resolved not to look at my watch during the race, and instead to concentrate on breathing and form. All of this I did, finishing in 47:32 (read "47 minutes, 32 seconds").

Afterwards, I was shocked to discover I had placed 3rd in my division. My pace was 7:40 min/mile (the two women who beat me were both doing about a 7:34 min/mile pace). And I was #16 out of 182 total women. Alhamdulillah.